I will start by saying that I am humbled by the opportunity to share a little bit about myself and my experiences. The Colombian family structure is a little different from other American families. I lived in a multi-family household through my childhood. Family support was extremely important to my mother. We would move often depending on if we had the financial means to support ourselves or not. We lived with my aunt and uncle at one point and in my late teens, my mom and I lived with one of my older cousins and my grandmother. The old saying “mi casa es tu casa” was very literal in our house.
I developed a hard work ethic in my late teens during my college years. It was important that I supported myself and paid for my own college education. I always felt that coming from a low income background requires one to be resourceful, so with limited resources I had to think creatively to find cost-effective solutions for my work at the university. I was working full time and going to school. Creating a strict time schedule and budget was very important to me. After graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a fine arts degree, I felt that I had a lot to offer but I wanted to live in a city that could give me opportunity to support myself with a creative degree. I moved to Seattle shortly after I graduated and I started working full time. Living in the city was a lot more expensive than living in Florida and I was faced with a hard choice. I wanted to go back to school for design which would give me a lot more opportunity. I packed away my dreams for a little while and I enlisted in the Navy. I worked for 6 years in the Navy doing what I was told and not having an opinion. I left my husband when I was told to leave my husband and I stayed at sea for months at a time missing my godmother’s funeral. Her death taught me a valuable lesson about work and its relation to family. I wanted to put my family first and I wanted employment to support that dream.
After leaving the Navy I worked part-time and started saving money to move back to Washington. I wanted the best program that can give me the most opportunity and after my Navy experience I felt that I had the discipline and the structure ingrained to handle an intensive training. For 6 years, I honed my skills in teamwork and leadership finding that collaboration and the ability to guide a project or team are the keys to success in the design industry. Now that we’re almost done with the first quarter, I realize that my Navy experience allowed me to have strategic thinking and planning which can be directly applied to design, especially with developing complex projects that are solving intricate design problems. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and managing stress is often developed in military service.
The fast pace environment of this program is no different than the fast pace environment in the Navy. I am so grateful that I am part of a program that emphasizes paying attention to detail. It reminds me of the Navy’s emphasis on precision. I’m seeing progress in my projects and I continuously surprise myself. With every project I see a skill level that I never had before increase.
In conclusion, my life experiences have not only shaped my character, but it has also enriched my approach to design. Overcoming challenges and embracing diverse experiences enabled me to contribute. It is a testament to the belief that diverse experiences enrich learning and creativity, a principle I am eager to continue to embody and promote in this design program.