Get to know me…

I’m Emily! I am a young student and artist. I thrive on inspiration from books, art, music, movies, and more. I see the world through a lens of possibility, looking for meaning in the everyday.

I value authenticity and connection. I have learned to embrace both the joy of creating and the satisfaction of learning. Whether I’m working on a design or enjoying a quiet day with a cup of coffee, I approach everything with curiosity and an open mind.

This website is a place where my passions and personality come together. I’m glad you’re here!

I was born on August 9, 2005, in Edgewood, Kentucky, to my parents and older brother. A few years later, my younger siblings—twins—joined our family. Shortly after the twins were born, we moved to Beavercreek, Ohio. I lived in OH from kindergarten to ninth grade.

My love for design began early. I was born with an imaginative and passionate mind, always lost in a book. Whether drawing, painting, or making up games with my siblings, creativity was constant in my life. Every elective I took in school revolved around art.

In seventh grade, my family moved to a city about 30 minutes away from where I had lived from ages 5-12. For the first time, I was the new kid, without the comfort of lifelong friends from school and church. We lived in Springfield, Ohio for two years, moving between three different houses but never finding a church home. At school, I struggled socially, and my once-expressive nature retreated into silence.

Then, the summer before tenth grade, we moved again—this time to Wauchula, Florida. Since June 2020, I’ve lived in five different houses and been a member of two different churches.

As you might guess, I am well-acquainted with change. For years, I felt like the wind—unsettled, unsure where I’d land or how long I’d stay, often unnoticed. But from that instability, an adventurer emerged. Rather than sinking under the weight of uncertainty, I have learned to thrive in it, even crave it.

During my sophomore and junior years, I traveled to the Dominican Republic for Spring Break mission trips. The curious, passionate child in me reignited. The food, the culture, the sense of neighborly community and love—everything was so vibrant and unlike anything I had ever experienced. That trip humbled me, making me acutely aware of my limited perspective and igniting a deep desire to explore and learn from the world around me.

A quote by Sylvia Plath perfectly captures my outlook:

"I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones, and variations of mental and physical experience possible in my life."

Choosing a major has been difficult because I see beauty in so many things and fear being confined to just one career.

If you’ve read this far, I applaud you. In the next section, you’ll learn what led me to Graphic Design…

I have done graphic design as a hobby since 2019, and it has become a more serious passion of mine over the past year - which has lead me to consider it as a vocation.

It all started in 2019 - 2020, when I was fortunate enough to take a Digital Design class while attending Global Impact STEM Academy. This was the first time I was introduced to art in a digital medium, and I knew I had found my niche. Covid-19 hit during my freshman year of High School. Yet when the whole world was quarantined, I got to continue learning about and experimenting with this art medium that sparked a newfound passion within me.

As someone who wants to experience all the shades of life that exist, I am blessed to live in the age of remote jobs - Graphic Design being one of these opportunities. I have an eye for aesthetics, but still much to learn. I am eager to travel the world and do missions far and wide, but this is quite an expensive dream. Pursuing Graphic Design will allow me to explore various career fields, interests, and places I want to go with flexibility for change and financial stability. I can be anywhere in the world and be able to design.

Graphic Design allows me to say yes to any opportunities that might come my way- my current job being one of them. Not only do I get to design in my role, but it doesn’t limit me from being able to design in my free time. I am simultaneously learning so much every day as an intern at The Development Group, while getting to do what I love in and outside of my job. I also have some pretty amazing bosses which makes work fun.