My Design Journey: Growth, Identity, and Purpose (2022–2026)
Overview
This page reflects my growth throughout my Honors journey, from my first year to my final capstone experience. It highlights how my identity, goals, and understanding of myself have evolved over time. Through my original and updated “I Am / I Want to Become” statements, I demonstrate how my perspective has developed both personally and professionally.
This artifact reflects my growth throughout my Honors journey at IU Indianapolis, beginning with H200 (taken during my freshman year, Spring 2023) and culminating in H496 (taken during my final year, 2026). H200 is an introductory Honors course focused on identity, reflection, and goal-setting, while H496 serves as a capstone experience that asks students to synthesize their academic, personal, and professional development as they prepare for life after graduation. The “I am / I want to become” intention statements included here capture who I was when I first entered the Honors College and how my understanding of myself has evolved as a soon-to-be graduate pursuing a career in design.
Original I Am / I Want to Become Statements
(H200 – 2023)
Written during my first-year Honors course (H200), reflecting my initial identity and goals.
"I am" statement
"I want to become" statement
Reflection
"Saying who I am can take time to explain; each characteristic forges a person's personality. If I had to describe myself, I would say: I am a person with a lot of patience, even in the most stressful situations, I manage to maintain control. I am a responsible student who always works to persevere in the most difficult moments. I am a reserved person, but I am good at listening to others and helping them when they need help, and I am grateful for the mistakes that teach me new lessons, and that have helped me grow as a person."
"Every person always dreams of their future, and they usually say I want to be an astronaut, a firefighter, a chef, or a doctor. As time goes by and more knowledge and new perspectives on life are created, we idealize ourselves or propose what we want to achieve. In the same way, I think about what I want to be and achieve as a person. The path to reach this starting point tends to change constantly, from what I can say from experience, which is true, but it is only necessary to find the best path to idealize what I want to become, the best version of myself.
Now I can say I want to become a web designer and developer and start building my own business. I want to become a college graduate and continue to gain knowledge to demonstrate and implement on a daily basis. I want to become an impulsive, self-demanding person to improve every day, as well as improve my English and be a fully bilingual person, increasing my opportunities to be a more adaptable person in the workplace. I want to be a more compassionate person and have the initiative to take necessary actions to help others. I want to be more positive and allow myself to see the beneficial side of life, avoiding pessimistic criticism that can be detrimental to keeping goals clear. I want to improve my academic skills, such as collaboration and communication, creativity, and imagination, which will help me achieve who I want to be."
I wrote my original statement during my freshman year, in my second semester at the Honors College at IU Indianapolis. At that time, I was still unsure of who I was and whether the path I had chosen was the right one. I believed that idealizing my future would be enough to grow, without fully addressing my personal doubts. Now, as I reflect on that version of myself, I recognize that growth requires intentional self-work. While my core values remain the same, I now live them with more confidence and less fear of judgment. Throughout my honors journey, I have developed a personal and professional growth mindset that has allowed me to better understand who I am and who I am becoming as a soon-to-be graduate.
Current I Am / I Want to Become Statements
(H496 – 2026)
"I am" statement
"I want to become" statement
"Before, it took me time to say who I was. Now, I can describe myself as I truly see myself. I am someone who is passionate about design and enjoys showing what I can create through creativity. I continue to be a patient person, one who has learned how to navigate difficult situations in life with greater understanding.
I am reserved by nature, but I have learned not only to listen to others but also to share who I am and what I care about. I value the small moments where I can express myself without feeling judged or out of place. Embracing each moment has become essential to my personal and professional growth."
"When I was a child, I was often asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Back then, I would say I wanted to be a princess. It may sound funny now, but in a way, earning a degree feels like holding a title, maybe not a princess, but something meaningful and earned through dedication.
Throughout my college journey, I explored different experiences that helped me better understand myself. Taking art and photography classes allowed me to express my creativity and ultimately changed the path I envisioned during my freshman year. These experiences helped me redefine my direction and opened my perspective to broader possibilities.
Now, I want to become a UI/UX designer while continuing to develop my interests in photography and graphic design. I aspire to be a successful designer and to work in environments where I can continue learning, growing, and demonstrating my skills and knowledge. Although I am approaching graduation, I plan to continue my studies in Human-Computer Interaction to further deepen my understanding of design.
Beyond professional goals, I also want to become someone who is not afraid to try new things, embrace change, and explore new paths, even when that means redefining my goals along the way. Becoming is not about reaching a final version of myself, but about continuing to grow with intention."
Reflection
Looking back at the person who first wrote these statements and comparing them to who I am today, I can clearly see how my understanding of myself has grown. What once felt uncertain has become more intentional through experience, exploration, and reflection.
Throughout my Honors journey, I have developed both personally and professionally, gaining confidence in my creative abilities and clarity in my career direction. This growth has prepared me to pursue my post-graduation goals in UI/UX design and continue my studies in Human-Computer Interaction, allowing me to move forward with purpose, adaptability, and confidence toward who I want to become.
Rewritten as part of my capstone experience (H496), demonstrating my growth over time.
Journey Map
When I first joined the Honors College, I was encouraged to think intentionally about the experiences, challenges, and goals that would shape my college journey. In Honors H200, I created my first Journey Map as a way to visualize where I came from and where I hoped my academic and professional path would lead.
This map reflects who I was in 2022, a student navigating change, adapting to a new academic environment, and striving to build a stable future through education. It outlines key milestones that influenced my identity, including personal challenges, my transition into higher education, and the moment I discovered my interest in web design and development. Looking back, this Journey Map serves as a snapshot of my mindset when I entered the Honors College. It highlights the goals I set for myself and the path I believed would lead me to success, providing an important point of reference as I reflect on how my journey has evolved since then.
Journey Map (H200 – 2023)
Update Journey Map (H496 – 2026)
Figure 1. Personal Growth Journey Map (2023).
This journey map represents my initial perspective during my first-year Honors course (H200). It reflects my early identity, goals, and understanding of personal development at the beginning of my academic journey.
Figure 2. Personal Growth Journey Map (2026).
This updated journey map illustrates how my identity, goals, and mindset have evolved over time. Created during my capstone experience (H496), it reflects deeper self-awareness, personal growth, and a more defined sense of direction.
Reflexion
When I created my first Journey Map in Honors H200, my focus was largely shaped by transition and aspiration. That map reflected where I was coming from and what I believed I needed to achieve in order to be successful. My goals at the time centered on stability, academic achievement, and establishing a clear professional path. I envisioned my journey as a linear one step leading directly to the next, with success defined by reaching specific milestones such as graduation and career readiness.
As I progressed through the Honors College, my actual journey unfolded in more complex and meaningful ways than I initially anticipated. Rather than simply following the path I had outlined, my experiences challenged me to reflect, adapt, and redefine what success meant to me. Each academic year contributed to this growth. During my freshman and sophomore years, I focused on building academic discipline, finding community, and earning recognition for my efforts, including multiple placements on the Dean’s List. These experiences helped me develop confidence in my abilities and a stronger sense of belonging within the Honors environment.
My junior year marked a significant turning point. Through coursework and self-reflection, I realized that my original career goal in web design and development no longer aligned with my evolving interests. This realization led me to pursue a certificate in Human-Computer Interaction and commit to a future in UI/UX design. This shift represented more than a change in academic focus; it reflected a deeper understanding of myself as a designer and problem-solver. During this period, I also reached an important personal milestone by becoming a U.S. citizen, which further reinforced my sense of identity, stability, and possibility.
By my senior year, my journey had transformed from one centered on reaching goals to one focused on becoming. Being accepted into the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program in Human-Computer Interaction at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering affirmed my academic growth and clarified my long-term direction. As I prepare for graduation, my goals now extend beyond completing my undergraduate degree. I am actively seeking a UI/UX internship, with a particular interest in local companies in Indianapolis as well as remote opportunities, where I can gain hands-on experience, contribute meaningfully to real-world projects, and continue developing my design skills.
When comparing my original Journey Map with my actual Honors journey, the difference is clear. What began as a plan rooted in expectation has evolved into a journey shaped by reflection, resilience, and growth. The Honors College did not simply help me reach my goals, it helped me redefine them.