...getting into the design program at the University of Utah.

"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