Victoria Garza
Writer, Editor, and UX Student in Austin, TX
I am Freelance Writer/Editor and Marketing Professional on the verge of a career shift into UX design.
"Make a wish, take a chance, make a change."
Change is not new to me. Growing up, my family moved around a lot throughout Texas, to California, and to Florida, because of my father's job. I spent most of my formative years in Miami and even though my family moved back to Texas, I stayed to attend the University of Miami, where I earned my BBA in Marketing. Upon graduation, I joined my family in Austin and eventually landed a job at Freescale Semiconductor with a great team of people editing technical manuals.
However, I'm the type of person who loves to explore and craves a challenge, so I decided to do an executive MBA program in International Business at St. Edward's University. During this time, I took a year off to do an internship in London with a global financial institution and used my days off to travel around Europe.
FUN FACT: I have traveled to more countries than states.
After my year was over, I realized that I desperately missed the sun, so I joined my then-boyfriend (now husband) in Hawaii, where he was working. We eventually moved back to Austin together, where I have been working in a variety of writing, editing, and marketing positions ever since, such as a staff writer for the Austin Business Journal and a marketing consultant for various governmental organizations and startups.
Although I love the work that I have been doing, I once again find myself craving something different. I have carefully explored my career options and discovered the field of UX Design, which blends my ability to empathize, my desire for efficiency, and my interests in psychology and human-computer interaction.
I'm currently enrolled in a course through Springboard, where I have been assigned a fabulous mentor I meet with weekly. I will come out of the program in a few weeks with a portfolio I can show potential employers.
Read about my UX Design learning adventure at www.vickygarza.com.
When I'm not working, I try to get outside as much as possible to hike the Barton Creek Greenbelt, go for a run along the Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail, or explore the numerous trails around Central Texas. I also like to read and try out new vegetarian recipes.