As far back as I can remember, I loved to draw and build. I’m pretty sure I got my artistic abilities from my mother’s side. Building, clearly from my father, who was a master plumber that loved renovation projects and having his son by his side to work on them. But it was around middle school that I figured I had to become a graphic designer. I mean, that’s how you make art AND get paid for it, right?
At the age of 17, I attended the School of Art & Design at Montgomery College, right in my small hometown of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area, aka the DMV. I received my AFA in Graphic Design at the age of 19, and I was off to become a freelance designer! Sort of...
I continued to design and create in many digital forms since then. I’ve also worked with my hands, in an office, and behind the bar, all while continuing my creative work. At one point, I co-owned an art gallery / event space / music venue. The time I spent making craft cocktails in the same space as culinary artists inspired me to launch DesignChef, my freelance design studio focused on food & beverage brands, back in 2022.
In 2024, I decided to take the leap and enroll at ASU to pursue a B.S. in Software Engineering. I see this as a great point in my life to expand my knowledge of everything “backend”, having spent 17 years mastering “frontend” thinking. I have an extreme interest in where technology will take humanity, especially the future of mobile, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.
And that just about brings us to today. If you think working with a digital creative that’s also currently learning a ton about coding (Java, C++, Python), data analysis (SQL, Tableau), and mathematics (yay, calculus!), then reach out below.
Experience
DesignChef
Washington, DC • January 2022–Present
Graphic Designer • Brand Designer • Web Designer
- Digital design generalist specializing in brand and web design.
- Client projects included branding, design, and websites for restaurants (BrickFire, Gritz Tavern, Charred), non-profits (Common Grain Alliance, FRESHFARM), consultancies (The Good Neighbor, Studio Usan, No Kings Collective, Arismendi Professional Services), and a food hall (The Square).
- Excels at crafting visual identities and designing layouts for digital and print.
Global Career Accelerator - Coding for Data
Remote • January–May 2025
SQL and Python Student
SQL Specialist Certificate • Python Specialist Certificate • Intercultural Skills Certificate
- The Global Career Accelerator provides easy-to-access, for-credit, work-based learning that adds in-demand skills to the college degree.
- Hands-on experience by completing real-world projects with globally recognized brands.
- Worked independently and with peers to tackle simulated projects with data.
- Gained certifications in SQL, Python, and Intercultural Skills.
- Hands on experience creating infographics and visualizations with Tableau.
Education
Arizona State University
Fall 2024–2027 (Expected)
B.S. Software Engineering
School of Art & Design at Montgomery College
Silver Spring, MD
Associate of Fine Arts (Graphic Design)