Interview with Titan from Bike Coalition

 I connected a lot with Titan's design journey. He mentioned how he didn't start pursuing a design career right after high school despite being interested in graphic design products like skate magazines and logos. It didn't sound like he had a lack of support from friends or family but more so like there was uncertainty around the discipline which led to encouragement of other pursuits. 

I can connect a lot with that experience, because my parents always supported my creative pursuits but it wasn't ever discussed as being something that I could make a career of. As a senior I began to talk with them about what would be my next journey after high school, and although I didn't want to go to college straight away they made it quite clear that it was an expectation. 

Initially I just wanted to graduate and begin the process of becoming a firefighter because I enjoy hands on work and adventure. I was never a fan of desk work beyond design and so it was hard for me to envision myself going to school for anything. However, because my parents were so firm about me attending I ended up enrolling at SFSU as a psychology major with no real plan or idea of what I would then pursue after college. I just knew that I hated math, and the psychology pathway seemed to have hardly any math, plus I like learning about the human brain and so it seemed like the most logical study to pursue. 

Like Titan though, I was left yearning for something that I was more interested in. I would switch my major to Business before finally realizing that if I was going to be paying for a higher education that I might as well enjoy what I was learning. 

I really connected with Titan's experiences upon becoming an intern at the Bike Coalition because it sounded like he was really thrust into the fire and given a lot of responsibility early on. This is exactly how I felt upon joining the Design Program, because although I began with introductory courses, there were so many things I had yet to learn in regard to adobe programs and the design process. 

It was a bit overwhelming at first to learn programs like InDesign and the importance of documenting ALL work to create a clear and concise design brief, but for the first time in my life I actually thoroughly enjoyed my schoolwork. Titan said that although it was a challenge, he was pursuing what he wanted to do and reminding himself of his purpose helped him through those challenging moments. 

This is exactly how I've kept myself afloat during these last 4 years in the design program. I've had a number of challenging moments, but I kept coming back to the fact that design is my passion and I wouldn't feel like myself trying to do anything else. 

Listening to Titans experiences made me so happy to see where I am now. I had so many doubts at the start of my journey like he might've also and so to see him actualize his dreams makes me confident that I will do the same for mine. 

I'm eternally grateful for the experiences and skills I've gained while at SFSU and am proud to be an alumnus of the design program. I can't wait to see what's next for my design career, and feel fully capable of making my dreams a reality.