Ethelia has an affinity for naps and tuna wraps. A designer primarily focused on the digital space, she’s a humble and conscientious learner aiming to imbue empathy and perspective through crafting helpful and meaningful experiences.
“Growing up, I was pretty introverted, and found solace in learning to code. I had a personal website running for the longest time, and it was my pride and joy because I was the only girl (in a class of five) who was taking computer science at a higher level in secondary school. Though it didn’t feel like it at the time, I was crushing stereotypes about the course in my culture. When it came time to apply to university, however, I had a change of heart. I wasn’t confident that computer science at a college level was what I wanted to do. I began to do some research and put together a last minute portfolio to apply for interactive design programmes instead.
Though my parents were supportive, they had their concerns. Design wasn’t seen to be a “good career” in the society that I grew up in, so they were worried about whether this path would be best for me. With that said, I was proud to be fighting for what I wanted, but I was also incredibly scared. What if they were right, and I was setting myself up for failure and disappointment? After I had been at university for about a year, one parent even said to me, “You’re so lucky that your parents let you study what you want, I was responsible and made my child go into econ.”
I worked my butt off in school, and fast forward to today, I’m proud of the opportunities that I’ve gotten, and the path that I’ve paved for myself. I’ve gained more confidence and self-esteem than I’ve ever had. While initially I was aiming to gain respect by “proving them all wrong”, I now try to do so by perfecting my craft and doing what I want to do really well.”
