Redefining what it means to be a part of UC San Diego's design community.
Role
Community Engagement Coordinator
Project Type
Leadership, Project Management
Duration
May 2022 - Present
Throughout the year, I facilitated and led a handful of workshops and lecture-style meetings for students. These workshops provided students with opportunities to learn more about design and the industry. Notable workshops included:
Leading a Design-Thinking Workshop with over 200 attendees (Called: Camp DCo)
Independently leading a Whiteboarding Challenge Workshop with 30 students
Teaching a group of 55 students advanced Figma features such as auto-layout and component building
From June 2022 to August 2022, DesignCo hosted Build-Up: a 10-week long summer internship program for UCSD students. Students gain exposure to industry by working with local non-profits on various design projects like: website redesigns and market strategy.
I helped lay the foundation for this summer internship program which gave over 32 students exposure to industry. I connected students with 6 local non-profits and 17 industry professionals. I also led the charge for the application process and scheduling for the program.
As a Community Engagement Coordinator, I provide opportunities for fellow student designers to connect with each other and with industry-professionals. With 4 other team members, the Community Engagement Team leads 10 socials each year and facilitates community feedback.
Recently, our team of 4 completed our largest mentorship program ever called Pixels & Cursors. The goal of the program was to provide mentorship to new design students from older students. This initiative had over 200 participants with 5 student events already executed.
This program improved accessibility of design mentorship beyond just design majors and provided more professional development opportunities to students via small groups.
My design journey didn't start at school. It began during the COVID-19 quarantine where I was isolating at home. My curiosities led me to find online communities that felt larger than the world I knew. I was overwhelmed. Throughout most of 2020 and 2021, I was able to find remote design opportunities, but it never felt like I was in a supportive design community.
Coming to UC San Diego, I joined various design communities and felt overwhelming support. Towards the end of my first year here, I pursued leadership positions in design. It gave me the chance to provide others with an opportunity to grow in a close design community.
Now, as I near the end of my college experience, I'm proud to see what we've been able to accomplish.