The last few years have been a whirlwind of personal, professional, and creative change. If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve used this blog as a space to reflect and set intentions for the new year. I missed posting a recap for 2024, so this time I want to take a wider lens: a look back at the past couple of years and where I’m heading next.
My Journey as a Teacher and Mentor
Teaching and mentoring have always been at the forefront of everything I do. My first job in high school was with the JHP Community Center (sadly, it is no longer around) under the After School Matters program. My role was to mentor elementary school students, assisting them in homework and training them in martial arts (JHPCC was a martial arts center).
Fast forward to post-college, I’ve run workshops and led sessions teaching people how to code and do web design as part of a training program that hired their graduates. These days, I find myself teaching at Columbia College Chicago as an Adjunct Faculty member, where I once studied myself.
What’s different now compared to then is that I’m able to bring everything I’ve learned from both design and development into the classroom, where I once sat. Experiences I used to dream about, which I’m now living in the industry, are the knowledge I can pass on and spark inspiration for a new wave of students entering the field.
Passing the Torch to the Next Generation
My love for teaching has actually led me to do something pretty awesome (at least I like to think so). This past summer, 2025, I launched my first internship program at IDE Interactive, offering emerging designers and developers the opportunity to gain real-world experience. But this isn’t just about building talent; it is much more than that.
My goal is to pass the torch to the next generation. Give them the opportunity to fail and grow, learn and explore, and eventually shape the world in their own ways. I want to give them a field where they can fail safely and gain the experience they need to apply to their next job. This has always been my goal since the start.
Mentorship has become a core pillar of my work. It’s less about what people can contribute to the work I do and more about what they’ll carry forward into their own careers and communities. Seeing them take those first steps is both humbling and inspiring.
I’ve recently written an article about the core principle I followed during this internship (and my team, for that matter). You can read it here: The 3 F’s of Training: Fail Fast, Fail Forward, and Fail Proudly.
Leading by Stepping Back
For those who know, and for those who don’t, I work. A lot. Even during my free time, I always find ways to work, but that work isn’t always company work; it’s work where I gladly do to grow and explore as a designer and developer myself. I play on my playground, if you will.
To do this more effectively and give myself the chance to return to my roots of learning and exploration, I have been learning how to step back, trusting my team, giving them bigger challenges, and creating a space for them to grow in their skill sets at their own pace.
Leadership isn’t just about steering the ship; it’s also about knowing when to let others take the wheel. It’s a team effort after all, and learning to let go of the day-to-day has been a huge part of building a healthier lifestyle for myself and giving others the room to thrive.
These days, I find that I now have the option to choose between doing fun work during my time off or actually taking time off to enjoy time with my loved ones.
Writing, Sharing, and Teaching Beyond the Classroom
Looking ahead, my goal is simple: to write more, share more, and teach more. That means:
- Publishing more blog content around my experiences in design and development.
- Creating tutorials and resources that are approachable but practical.
- Expanding my writing beyond the blog, yes, into books! To capture what I’ve been teaching in a format that lasts.
On a personal growth note, I also want to spend more time reading and sharing my reflections here. Not just design or tech books, but the kind of books that expand how I think about creativity, leadership, and life.
On Two Wheels
And in more fun news: I also got my M classification! For everyone who remembers me showing up to meetings on my trusty moped, I’ve officially graduated to a motorcycle. One of my personal goals this year is to spend more time riding while the season lasts.
Reconnecting Beyond Work
Not everything has been smooth sailing, though; my personal relationships haven’t been where I’d like them to be, be it romance, family, friends, or even just with total strangers I’d meet at a networking event. Being ingrained in the day-to-day came at the cost of also losing many personal connections.
Thankfully, I’m already well on the way to changing that by stepping back from a lot of the day-to-day busy work. My goal is also to meet new people, make connections, and build genuine friendships outside of work, and to “live life a little more.”
Shoutout to Windy City Business Networking for being one of the groups that’s helped me get out there and connect with new faces. This group hosts some of the best networking events around, and the people I meet there with my team are absolutely fantastic.
On Two Wheels
And in more fun news: I also got my M classification! For everyone who remembers me showing up to meetings on my trusty moped, I’ve officially graduated to a motorcycle. One of my personal goals this year is to spend more time riding while the season lasts.
The blog itself is shifting. Instead of sporadic updates, I want this space to feel like a living library of what I’ve learned (and am still learning). Whether you’re a student, a peer, or just curious about design and tech, I want you to walk away with something useful, inspiring, or at least a nudge to try something new.
