PROJECTS
ABOUT ME
Images credit- Yelp
My path to design started way back in the 4th grade.
I attended Old Donation Center - a school in Virginia Beach, VA for gifted and talented students.
We were pulled from our home school one day a week to attend advanced art classes for the entire day.
The program is designed to recognize students for their talents and provide focused curriculum to elevate their future educational pursuits.
Art wasn't my only passion growing up. I was also a competitive hockey player.
Playing both ice and roller hockey year-round in leagues, national tournaments, and even some international tournaments. I was a very busy and active young man.
Wanting to stay close to home, I pursued a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, VA.
Everything was going well. Graduation just around the corner, final grades posted, cap and purchased.
I was ready to pursue the next chapter of my life.
Then something happened that would alter the next 20 years of my life…
As I made my way up to the art room to retrieve my final portfolio I was filled with emotion. This was my last trip up the stairs, my last visit into the classroom. It almost didn't feel real. Everything I had worked so hard for was finally coming to an end.
As I entered the back room where we turned in our work, I could see only two portfolios still there and I knew immediately neither were mine. My heart sank and a lump formed in my throat.
Was it misplaced? Did the professor still have it?
After looking everywhere and calling my professor it became clear.
Someone had stolen my portfolio.
My portfolio was a culmination of all my best best work and I was devastated…
I lost all my passion to be creative. It affected me more than I realized because I also gave up on a career path that would allow me to utilize my creative talents.
After switching career fields several times and never finding anything I was truly passionate about, I found myself constantly looking for something that fit my interests and work experience.
Then I discovered UXUI. So I took a boot camp at George Washington University and loved it. While it was challenging and fast-paced, it was just the beginning of a long journey towards my goal.
So here am at 42 rediscovering my creative talents while also utilizing my work experience to forge a new career in product design.