I started with a goal that I wanted to become a designer when I was in high school. However, I had no idea how many opportunities this journey would bring to me. I'm from a small rural town and I grew up thinking design was a far fetched idea. I had never met an interior designer or architect with a background that was similar to mine. I knew no black designers and I had a hard time imagining a designer coming from a rural area, such as where I grew up. The closest thing I had to a role model or glimpse into design was HGTV, so I had no idea what to expect or who to even ask help to accomplish my dreams. I just knew that I wanted to impact my community and design better spaces for people to live. Luckily, I met some amazing colleagues and mentors that assisted in my educational and professional journey. I graduated from James Madison University in 2017 with my BFA in Architectural Desigtudyn. I was blessed to experience my first time abroad while there for a summer study abroad trip to Japan. After graduation, I moved to the DC area gaining work experience in the interior design and architecture profession. During Fall 2019, I returned to school to works towards my Master's in Architecture at Virginia Tech. I recently completed my second study abroad trip with the Steger Center Architecture Residency program to visit Switzerland and neighboring European countries. The past couple of months I realized that I transformed from wanting to become a  specific type of designer to taking ownership of the designer that I've become over the years. I'm still working towards developing my skills. However, I've already accomplished for than I ever expected when I began this journey almost a decade ago. Now, I strive to show others interested in the field that it is possible to find these opportunities. I plan to share my own experience and mentor others interested in design to make it easier for their dreams to become reality as well.