Hi! I'm Courtney 

Empathy draws me in, curiosity lights the way, puppies and pizza give me strength

What's my story?

Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 2010, I've worked mainly in account management roles, most recently for advertising agencies. While I've gained a lot from these experiences, I wasn't feeling fulfilled and needed a change. I had a craving, and it wasn't going to be satisfied until I had a career that offered more strategy, creativity, and digital exploration. (Kind of like when you NEED ice cream, but you're eating yogurt. You're not going to be happy until you taste that cold, delicious creamy goodness.)

So I enrolled in the UC Berkeley Extension Professional Program for User Experience Design in the spring of 2017. I immersed myself in all that is user-centric design, and with each class I took, I knew that this had been the right decision. I fell in love with wireframing and prototyping.

My heart and soul were finally in the work I was producing.

How does my past experience set me apart?

My background in account/campaign management provides me with useful skills that can be applied well in UX design — such as empathizing with users, communicating effectively with both internal and external stakeholders, and brainstorming and aligning goals with team members. My past experience, in conjunction with my recent education, enhances my overall abilities and allows me to pursue new user experience ventures through the eyes of both a designer and product manager.

Plus, I'm a good team player, so put me in coach!

Fun fact: At my last company, we were given the Strengths Finder test to determine our top strengths. Mine is empathy. I figured this is what made me a good account manager, but now I realize it's what will make me an even better designer.

What do I do when I'm not designing?

Great question. Outside of work, you can find me: playing with my dogs, taking ceramics classes, practicing yoga, listening to live music, planning my next travel adventure, and eating (seriously, if I'm not eating, I'm thinking about what my next meal is going to be).