"My proudest moment is getting into the design program at the University of Utah.

I’m so lucky to say that I’ve done a lot in my life that I am proud of, but I’d have to say the most recent and most rewarding was getting into the design program, summer 2019. I was nearly two years into my biology degree when I first heard about the design program. I had a friend taking the pre-requisite courses and his projects completely blew me away. They were visually stunning and creatively conjured, I couldn’t believe this was what he was getting to do for homework. I decided to leave behind the track I’d thought I was on and dive into design, and it was the best decision I ever made. Getting into the program though, was a different story entirely.

We started with around 80 applicants and ended with a cohort of 32 new design students. A summer studio taught by three of the program’s top faculty members that lasted for three months and ended with a jury of members judging our projects and our progress to determine whether or not they thought we’d be successful in the program. The summer was gruesome — all-nighters every week, hundreds of dollars spent on materials, learning to navigate my recently diagnosed OCD, and all the while dealing with a long-distance relationship that I felt was soon coming to a heartbreaking end. I wasn’t at my best every class or for every project, but in the end I was so incredibly proud of everything that I’d accomplished, and that feeling will drive me for the rest of my design career." -Kayla

You can follow Kayla at:

Instagram: @kaylakingsley3