I have spent the last 6 years working for or in the Office of the President at ASU. I started as a student worker when I was an undergrad, working on ridiculous charts and terrible Powerpoints. Now I am an interaction designer. I am not like an interaction designer that deals in code only. I look at not only how we interact with objects, digital and print, but also how we interact with each other. A human interaction designer, how people can understand and connect with ideas from other people.
This job has taught me amazing things. It has helped me understand my own education and the role of education in the greater economy. I’m really lucky to work for visionaries, to make a living supporting an idea that makes the world a better place. I am lucky to work for a place whose mission I can stand behind. Even when things are tough, I know that university education can change lives. I have experienced it, my family has experienced it. I have selfish reasons for working here, too. The value of my degree is something I take very seriously, and I feel like I am in the trenches every day working on that.
My last day here is April 12. I have taken a position elsewhere in the university, and I am starting a new path. I needed a shift in audience, and a great opportunity came up. I am excited about what is ahead, but I’m sad about leaving the driven, passionate people of this office behind. They all seem to have the right mix of optimism and reality.
I am filled with nostalgia and gratitude this week. Thank you, Office of the President, for giving me pride in my education. Thank you for helping me grow beyond what they could ever teach me in the classroom. Thank you for letting me pass that knowledge on to another generation year after year. Thank you for taking risks with me, thank you for listening, and thank you for bringing me from undergraduate to career woman. I still have much to learn, but I appreciate every opportunity you have given me.