Since I was young, my environment has always played a big role in my anxieties. Not knowing my environment, it being chaotic, signage not being clear, and other elements of design caused me to nearly shut down and feel intensely overstimulated. As I grew up, I noticed I always had a tendency to step into others' shoes and imagine their thoughts and feelings. Through this, I was able to better observe how the built environment affected them. I also found that certain changes in seat position, being in more private environments, or other general changes in the way they were interacting with the built environment were able to cause a shift in mood. This relationship between space and feeling drove me to look deeper into interior design and ask the question that drives me in all of my designs; How I can create environments that could better benefit the needs and mental health of others? How can I reimagine a space to be compatible with a person’s specific needs and daily routines?

Along with this, my studies at Colorado State University and experience in the field have driven me further into the understanding of "good design" and have also allowed me the opportunity to collaborate with peers in my program - thus allowing me to hear design from many different perspectives. The newly gathered ideas have raised my understanding of how others might interpret space and have given me an appreciation for the user. I strongly believe the ability to collaborate and learn from others is a vital part of design.