The greatest email I've ever received!
In 2012, I graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. I took that degree to Qatar, where I worked as a 3rd grade teacher for two years. While teaching, I realized I have a stronger interest in developing children's media for use in the classroom and at home. I saw how much more engaged my students were when I was able to tie our lessons to technology, be it through turning their writing into digital books with "Storybird", competing in arithmetic challenges with "Mathletics", or simply discussing how to be a good friend after seeing "Arthur". Introducing my kids to these technologies and seeing how quickly they caught on and how enthusiasticly they engaged with each of them really inspired me to look into a career where I could be someone creating and developing these types of interactions. This inspiration sparked my search for graduate programs that would focus on educational technology or media for children. This is where Harvard comes in.
I came across Harvard's Technology, Innovation, and Education program during my search and quickly felt like this was my #1 choice! At the same time, I felt like it was a long shot to apply to HARVARD. With Harvard's connections to prominent children's media companies like Sesame Street, I knew this was where I had to be. I went to sleep every night wishing and praying that they would let me in! :)
The greatest email I've ever received!
One morning while I was still living in Qatar, I woke up to an email letting me know that they had made a decision and I needed to log in to my account to see my fate. It was quite hard to make myself sign in because I knew I would be devastated if I didn't get in... but, (as you can see) I GOT IN!!!! I fell to the floor and cried I was so happy and proud that I had been accepted to this school. This was definitely a great day for me!
I made the move from Doha, Qatar to Boston, Massachusetts in Summer 2014 and spent the year really trying to hone in on where I want my career to go and building the necessary skills to make such a career change.
Below you'll find a gallery of memories from my year at Harvard and the steps I took to advance my career. Enjoy! (Hover over each image for descriptions)
My first Harvard swag purchase, can't wait to represent
Officially official with my business cards for networking
Memorial Hall on campus looking like Hogwarts
Harvard campus is just stunning
View of Cambridge
The Old Burying Ground established in Harvard Square before 1635, walked by it every day on the way to class and it was always beautiful (but especially in the fall)
Foggy autumn morning waiting for the T to take me to campus
Easily one of the top highlights of my whole year was meeting Anne Sweeney and even being so lucky as to have one-on-one time with her to discuss career goals
One of the best parts of moving to Boston was finally being in the same city as my cousin who has lived in Hawaii all our lives
You know it's getting cold in Boston when an ice sculpture can survive outside for days
Another highlight was interning at WGBH and being surrounded by all of this PBS nostalgia from my childhood... these are the reasons I love children's media so much
Harvard's Sesame Street connection came into full effect when I took this class, highlighting how Sesame has managed to be so successful in this industry
Even though I lived so close to NYC, I only went once to celebrate my cousin's 21st birthday... we stayed in an apartment with this awesome view of the Empire State Building
Two programs came together to throw our "Program Mother" a baby shower before she welcomed her first daughter
I volunteered with Season 6 of High School Quiz Show filmed at WGBH, here I'm standing in as one of the contestants during rehearsal
My absolute favorite YouTube star, Todrick Hall, came to Boston twice and I went to both shows... LOVE him
Another fave, Leighton Meester, came to perform and put on a great show
We had a lovely night jamming out to Leighton Meester's tunes
For Saint Patrick's Day 2015, I traveled all the way to Ireland to celebrate properly
Super pumped to stumble upon this gem in Ireland
Love all the creepy old burying grounds in the countryside of Ireland
Kissing the Blarney Stone for luck in Ireland
A delightful horse and carriage ride in Killarney, Ireland
We made a pit stop to take scenic photos on the coast of Ireland and came across a man just chillin' with the most adorable baby lambs
Feeling terrified at the edge of the cliffs on the coast of Ireland
Caught this Irish pub getting its Guinness delivery... classic
Apparently on of the scenes in "P.S. I Love You" was filmed here
St. Paddy's Day Parade in Dublin
Harvard Square Starbucks gave us these when we acted as vigilantes and intercepted an attempted theft of one Idina Menzel CD... sorry, guy, not today
Took a trip to Salem, Massachusetts and couldn't leave without finding Max's house from "Hocus Pocus"
On Wednesdays, at Harvard, we wear pink and watch a screening of Mean Girls for our homework assignment
During my second semester, I was able to cross-register and take one class at MIT
Even though I only took one class at MIT, I made it into their promotional material... #model
I took a production class and here I'm debuting my final product, an app geared towards grad students to help them manage their graduate years
This year I started running for the first time in my life and completed the "Couch to 5K" program to train for my first race... luckily, living near the beach made for a very beautiful jog setting
Disney on Ice: Frozen came to Boston, so naturally we had to go
Coming from New Mexico, I often had cravings for green chile dip... so I improvised and made my own
I was so happy to find a Which Wich here in Boston
While I lived here, I went to Wahlburgers three times... saw Mama Wahlburger once but never saw the guys... so sad
At school, we all had our professional pictures taken so we would be ready for the pending job search... they came out pretty great :)
I went to a Pixar Masterclass at the New England Institute of Technology, which taught us as much as they possibly could in two days about how Pixar makes their movies... this event was incredible and really inspired me to think about trying to work at Pixar :)
Dinner after the Pixar Masterclass only solidified my desire to work at Pixar
I was super lucky to be able to intern with Arthur this summer
In my cubicle, Arthur's autograph was hanging right in front of me for inspiration
I knew I could not leave Boston without working with the Arthur team, so I was extremely grateful that I was able to intern with them in May... here I am with my buddies Arthur and D.W.
I couldn't be more proud of my graduation cap... it's just the best thing ever
Walking to graduation
Always have to stand out, that's just my style
Just a tiny fraction of all of us that graduated on this beautiful day
So excited to see all my family in the audience as I walked to the stage
Can't control the joy just pouring out of my face
Walking to the stage to get my degree
We're all just so thrilled we made it through this crazy year
With my parents, the people who have done everything they could to get me where I am today
So happy that my second family made the trip up to Boston to celebrate with me
I've known these kids since they were born, I can only hope that I make them proud and inspire them to go after all of their dreams, no matter how big
Graduation dinner at Cheesecake Factory means free dessert
Graduation celebration continued at Dave & Buster's because I thought that was a great idea... it was
Graduation celebrations continues further with a movie screening of Tomorrowland, because it's Disney
So proud to be a graduate of TIE 2015... ALUMNI STATUS
Living in Boston doesn't mean I can't represent where I've been
Attended my first Harvard Alumni event at the Harvard Club of Boston
All my training built up to my first 5K race... the Color Run... it was SO MUCH FUN and I made my best time to date, 3.1 miles in 32 minutes :)
Got a summer job at a production company, calling customers to recruit them for a product commercial... I was later hired to be the production assistant on the actual commerical shoot as well
So proud to have my first paid production gig :) :) :)
Couldn't leave Boston without attending a Red Sox game... a Red Sox vs. Yankees game no less
My last trip to HGSE campus gave me all the feels
Have to thank The Harvard Coop for providing me with all my Harvard swag that I'll be sporting for the rest of my life
In my free time, I decided to learn how to code my own website... this is the course I took and what you're looking at is the result of my new skills
One of my dear friends is the guest for Legacy Skirted Leggings on QVC, she put together a promotional photoshoot and was nice enough to ask me to model with her
We're jumping for joy because we love these Legacy Skirted Leggings so much
This year, I had the pleasure of traveling to Philadelphia a few times to behind the scenes at QVC
Getting to go behind the cameras at QVC only fueled my desire to work in production, I love the set life
When the skirted leggings were the Today Special Value item, we hung back in the green room keeping an eye on the sales
My very last trip to QVC this year was filled with killer outlet savings, famous designer meetings, and getting to be in an environment that I love
We met the sweetest women selling their "My Saint My Hero Blessing Bracelets"... we absolutely love ours and we're grateful for the blessings they will bring us
One of the highlights of living in Boston in general is that these lovely ladies came to visit me all the way from Qatar
Cheersing at the Cheers Bar at Faneuil Hall in Boston with my dear friend, whom I met while teaching in Qatar
While my Doha friends were visiting, we made a trip up to Salem to experience all the witchy history
We capped their Boston trip off with dinner at Dick's Last Resort... these are the hats our waitress thought described us best
My year in Boston comes to an end with my family's traditional yearly trip to Provincetown in Cape Cod... it never fails to be a beautiful and rejuvenating week at the beach
