Friday, June 13, 2014

One scoop at a time - Ema & McKenna

Blogger's note: This post is part of our new series, "Making the World Better One Scoop at a Time" where we highlight all the awesome things our people are doing to make our community, and the world, a better place. 

Today we're featuring Ema (L) and McKenna (R). These gals are doing really different things (Ema is an aspiring archaeologist and McKenna is a freelance graphic designer) but they're both super passionate and have traveled the world to pursue their dreams! 

Q&A with Ema - scooper at Wallingford


mm's: So you’re an archaeology student at UW and you recently went to a conference on subarctic paleoecology in Denmark. What made you want to study archaeology?
Ema: I wanted to do archaeology because the discipline lives in this dynamic intersection of art and science. There's history, literature, geology, geography, ecology, and mystery involved. To be honest, I'm just kind-of in love with the amount of possibility and opportunities in archaeology. Plus, field work is incredibly fun and satisfying. I spent a month last summer living in middle-of-nowhere Iceland excavating a medieval farm mound, and it was one of the most incredible experiences ever. Also, being able to actively contribute to the historical/archaeological record is just rad.

mm's: How was the conference? What did you do there?
Ema:
The conference was amazing! It was basically four days of presentations on current ecological work being conducted in the Subarctic seas. I was there as part of a committee focused on the paleoecology of the subarctic, led by my advisor at UW, Ben Fitzhugh. Each day had a different "theme," the first was Danish work (because we were hosted by the university in Copenhagen and the Natural History Museum), next was paleoecology, and the last day was entirely about the ecology of Arctic Cod. I'm going to be honest, I never thought I would ever know as much about Arctic Cod as I do now! But I learned an incredible amount, and just the experience of attending an international conference as an academic was such an important experience for me as I move forward in my career. Plus I got to meet some of my favorite paleoecologists in person!

mm's: What are your hopes and dreams for your future?
Ema: My "hopes and dreams" are pretty education focused as of right now. I'm going to graduate with my bachelor's next year (after only three years!), and then plan to attend a two year master's program at the University of Iceland for Viking, Norse, and Medieval studies before returning to the US for my doctorate in archaeology. I hope to come back to UW for my dissertation and continue working in the subarctic, I really love living in Seattle and don't plan on "moving for good" anytime soon!

Q&A with McKenna - scooper at Capitol Hill/19th & Mercer

mm's: How did you get into graphic design?
McKenna: Graphic design was something that I got into while I was deciding what to major in for my bachelor's degree. I knew that I loved art and solving things in a visual and creative way and thought that graphic design was a good mix of my talents. I kind of jumped in to focusing on that during my college career and I really ended up loving it!

mm's:
What’s your favorite thing about it?
McKenna:
My favorite thing about graphic design is that it is so versatile and ever-changing. What isn't awesome about making ideas look great?!

mm's:
How did you end up working with a client in Hong Kong?
McKenna:
I am so lucky to have had the experience of traveling and working with clients in Asia. My cousin opened a branch of a cosmetic packaging company in Hong Kong. Observing the work that they did was one of the inspirations for me to study Digital Design in college. After a few years studying art and design, that company ended up asking me to do some summer work and freelance design. Working with clients in another country is a challenge that I am proud to have under my belt. It taught me a lot about how to manage time and interact with clients that were much older. Design is a skill needed by many - other countries included!

mm's: What are your hopes and dreams for your future?
McKenna: Oh man! Since I'm a recent graduate the "hopes and dreams" question is so loaded. I suppose that my hope for the future is to focus my creative energy on things that I enjoy. I've been really fortunate to use my skills and talents to work on projects that make me happy and I want my life to include more of that. I eventually want to have a job as a graphic designer and artist who creates work that is meaningful to myself and to others. I wish to use creativity to better the world that we live in- if that doesn't sound too cheesy! ;-)

mm's: Nope, not at all! Thanks Ema and McKenna!!



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