Associate Product (UI/UX) Designer, Red Ventures
Years as a Camper: 8 summers including CILT summer
Years as a Staff Member/Positions held: 4 summers
- Junior Counselor (2 years)
- Senior in Charge
- UA Powerboating
Current Profession and Title/Years in role: Associate Product (UI/UX) Designer, Red Ventures
I was very lucky to get an internship with the digital marketing firm Red Ventures my junior year at UNC and started working full-time for them in 2021. At Red Ventures, I’m a Product Designer for Bankrate.com, a financial service site. I work on improving the usability and creating new online experiences for our users. One of the best parts of Camp is working with a great team of people. When I was looking for a job, I wanted to find a place that prioritized that type of environment. Being great people to work with is one of the five core values at Red Ventures. Going forward in my career, I want to continue to create things that I’m proud of and that help people find the online solutions they need.
Do you have any career advice for landing that first job out of school? Get to know your professors, ask for their advice and courses they recommend. Network and take on different internship and shadowing opportunities. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, try new things, and be creative.
How do the values or skills you learned at Camp show up in your everyday work and/or personal life? Another core value at Red Ventures is that everything is written in pencil. The culture is open to working on the fly, having to think fast, and pivot. My experience at Camp was so helpful in building that skillset for quick problem solving. Also, just like at Camp, things don’t always work out the way they were planned to. I’m thankful that at a young age I learned that it’s OK to make mistakes.
Was there a situation or time at Camp that was especially influential or had a big impact on you?
As a camper, having such amazing role models helped transform my life. I had so many amazing counselors who I aspired to be like when I grew up. When I got older and was working through upper ranks a lot of the UAs and counselors inspired me and pushed me to achieve my goals. When I was working towards getting my Captain my final year as a camper, I had to plot a course to Oriental on a powerboat all by myself. I navigated myself and a UA there one early morning the last week of camp. It was such an empowering experience because at the time I was still hardly driving a car and to be able to drive a boat like that by myself was a big deal. I felt so proud and accomplished. The confidence from that experience stuck with me as I returned to school in the fall. This experience was the main reason I dedicated myself to becoming a Center Console Instructor and then the Upper Ranks UA when I joined the Seafarer staff. I wanted to be able to help provide the same guidance and influences that was given to me.
Favorite Camp meal: Chicken patties
Do you have a hidden talent: I’ve recently learned how to crochet and have been working on a few tote bags
What three words best describe you? Creative, playful, and motivated
What profession other than your own would you like to try? I would love to work in interior design.
What are you reading? I just finished Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was my first book of the year and I highly recommend it!
