About Me
When I was ten years old, I created my first digital learning game on our family Macintosh computer. Working diligently for hours a day, I taught myself the scripting language of the program while perfecting the interactivity and graphic design (think 90s clip art). In the game, the player was presented with three doors: one door opened to a fun animal fact, one door led to the next level, and one door opened to a tiger that would eat you. The End! Little did I know, the game was a basic, gamified branching scenario with a simple learning objective, where the learner gained knowledge based on pure luck rather than skill. Today, I'm still sparking curiosity with a spirit of fun and games, while crafting more complex branching scenarios and learning objectives.
Learning experience design was not my first area of study, however. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with an independent study in Animal Behavior. After earning my degree I wanted to satiate my creative side and stretch my wings, so rather than dedicating myself to science, I opened many doors to satisfy my curiosity about different fields. I worked as a display artist, graphic designer, a social media content creator, and eventually started a freelance business in digital media consulting.
To build further on my foundation, I earned a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, where I absorbed the learning theories, curriculum development, and evaluative processes that inform me as an instructor today. This past year I opened yet another door of opportunity when I earned a certificate in Instructional Design from the University of California-Irvine Department of Continuing Education. The program sharpened my storyboarding, interactive storytelling, and iterative design skills. This portfolio reflects the current version of myself, but what makes life interesting are the doors yet to be open. Luckily, I have avoided the tiger thus far.
Learning experience design was not my first area of study, however. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with an independent study in Animal Behavior. After earning my degree I wanted to satiate my creative side and stretch my wings, so rather than dedicating myself to science, I opened many doors to satisfy my curiosity about different fields. I worked as a display artist, graphic designer, a social media content creator, and eventually started a freelance business in digital media consulting.
To build further on my foundation, I earned a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, where I absorbed the learning theories, curriculum development, and evaluative processes that inform me as an instructor today. This past year I opened yet another door of opportunity when I earned a certificate in Instructional Design from the University of California-Irvine Department of Continuing Education. The program sharpened my storyboarding, interactive storytelling, and iterative design skills. This portfolio reflects the current version of myself, but what makes life interesting are the doors yet to be open. Luckily, I have avoided the tiger thus far.