Get to know me…

I’m Emily! I am a student and artist. I get inspiration from media: books, art, music, fashion magazines, movies, pinterest, and more. I see the world through a lens of possibility and my goal is to experience a little bit of everything.

I value authenticity and connection. I have learned to embrace the joy of creating and the satisfaction of learning. Whether I’m working on a design or am lost in a book, I approach everything with curiosity and an open mind.

This website is a place where my passions and personality come together. Thanks for visiting!

2005-09 — Early Years
I was born in Edgewood, Kentucky, and grew up as the middle child with three siblings. From a young age, I loved anything creative: mainly reading, but I also enjoyed arts and crafts.

2010-17 — Childhood
My family moved to Beavercreek, Ohio when I was 4 years old. My dad became the pastor of University Baptist Church. I grew up in Beavercreek from K-7th grade. My time in Beavercreek was full of amazing memories and a wholesome, sheltered childhood. I will probably always think of Beavercreek as home even though now nothing is as I remember it.

2018-19 — Change
My family moved for the first time that I can remember after I completed 7th grade, and many difficult seasons of challenges and growth followed. We moved to Springfield, Ohio - about 30 minutes from where I grew up. I struggled socially in school, and my family never found a church home. I felt intense insecurity for the first time - I grew up loud, passionate, and fearless. These qualities of mine all went away pretty quickly after living in Springfield.

2020 — Florida
When my family moved to Wauchula, Florida, I found new opportunities for community and growth. I immediately had a church home and found friends quickly. Though I finally had friends once again, I walked through pretty dark seasons from my sophomore - senior years of high school. I was sad and insecure a lot of the time, I couldn’t get out of my head. I felt even more lonely and invisible, but didn’t do anything to change how I felt.

High School — Purpose
During my sophomore and junior years, I traveled to the Dominican Republic on mission trips. Even though I was struggling mentally back home, experiencing the culture and community in the DR ignited my curiosity, faith, and passion for serving others. It opened up a yearning to see more of the world and its beauty.

2023 — Graduation & Gap Year
After graduating high school, I took a gap year to work, attend therapy, and grow in my faith. It was a difficult but transformative season that helped me to slowly regain confidence and rediscover my purpose. My family loved me the way God does through a time that I was probably pretty hard to love. Being out of high school and having time to grow mentally and spiritually, and be encouraged by my friends and family who love me was so healing. There were hard moments, but my loved ones fought for me in moments where I was unable to fight for myself.

2024  — Summer in NOLA
I spent the summer after my gap year serving with GenSend in New Orleans, where I experienced the beauty and brokenness of the city. That time strengthened my faith, showed me the beauty and fulfillment of a meaningful community, and gave me a strong sense of purpose. I fell in love with New Orleans and hope to live there at some point after I earn my Bachelor’s degree. My heart was constantly broken for the people there and repaired again and again by the faithful community of believers there and my neighborhood team.

2024-25 — College & Career
I enrolled at South Florida State College and worked as an intern with The Development Group, where I discovered the fulfillment of meaningful work and the joy of being part of a supportive team. I completed my Associates in Arts and found a love for community development - something I didn’t even know existed before this opportunity. These roles have allowed me to use my creativity in meaningful ways, building both confidence and skill as I am pursuing a degree in Graphic Design.

Today
I’m now a Graphic Design major at University of West Florida and a Marketing & Communications intern with Visit Pensacola.

Looking Ahead
A quote by Sylvia Plath perfectly captures my outlook:

"I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones, and variations of mental and physical experience possible in my life."

As someone whose goal is to experience everything I possibly can (while bringing glory to God), I am so blessed to live in the age of remote jobs - Graphic Design being a really fun one. Learn more about this in the next section. Also… I applaud you if you have read this far.

I have done graphic design as a hobby since 2019, and it has become a more serious passion of mine over the past year - which has led me to consider it as a vocation.

It all started in 2019 - 2020, when I was fortunate enough to take a Digital Design class while attending Global Impact STEM Academy. This was the first time I was introduced to art in a digital medium, and I knew I had found my niche. Covid-19 hit during my freshman year of High School. When the whole world was quarantined, I was blessed to be able to continue learning about and experimenting with this art medium that sparked a newfound passion within me.

As someone who wants to experience all the different shades of life, I am blessed to live in the age of remote jobs - Graphic Design being one of these opportunities.

Along with living for the Lord, I am so eager to travel the world and learn new things. Being immersed in new cultures is the most beautiful, humbling, fulfilling thing. This is quite an expensive dream. Pursuing Graphic Design will allow me to explore various career fields, interests, and places I want to go with flexibility for change while maintaining financial stability. I can be anywhere in the world and be able to design.

Graphic Design allows me to say yes to most opportunities that might come my way- my current job being one of them. Not only do I get to design in my role, but it doesn’t limit me from being able to design or explore completely unrelated interests in my free time. I am simultaneously learning so much every day as an intern, while getting to do what I love in and outside of my job.

Missions, travel, and a slew of various careers are my ultimate goals, but design is a passion of mine and a form of financial stability.