Welcome to the Blog

MY FIRST BLOG POST

Hello and welcome to my blog! For my first post, I want to give some background details and information about this space. Currently, I am a student completing my master's degree in instructional design and learning technology at Purdue University. I am based in Dallas, TX. I found the field of instructional design through a winding path. My professional background is in educational non-profit work. From these experiences, I knew I loved all things learning, but could not tell what direction to take my interests. I wasn't keen on the traditional role of K-12 educator and I wasn't sure what else was out there. Over time, I heard of the ID field through meeting ID professionals. I thought it was a great niche mix of my skills and interests with a focus on learning, performance, technology, and design. My largest interest was the ability to work with adults in industry and to harness creativity within learning designs. As I have moved through my master's program, my interest in this field has grown. My favorite aspect is being able to analyze learning and performance needs and design unique solutions that meet a given need. There is a lot of problem-solving and critical thinking in this field and I love that! I love talking with other instructional designers and hearing what brought them into the field and how it is changing and growing. I also hope for this to be a space that helps to educate on the importance of this field to larger industry needs. 

When I am not working on school, I love to spend time in creative pursuits. Hiking, traveling, reading, writing, and staying active are some of my favorites. I love to try new creative areas (I'd love to try painting next) and feel that I will always need to be creating something. I am always in search of the best coffee shop in Dallas. I'll leave some pictures below of some of my favorite hobbies and travels.