Hi, I'm Autumn.
Words play a significant role in my life. Because of them, I will forever love reading, writing, and music.
I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and spent 9 years of my childhood just west of the city. I spent 5 in Bradenton, Florida, and 7 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. (As an adult, I spent 8 more in my childhood home in Pennsylvania and 2 in Delaware before settling in Georgia.)
Growing up, I would revel in the storylines, character development, and make-believe of fiction books. The characters and their lives would captivate me so much that I imagined them alive in the world, just as we are.
Benjamin Franklin Bridge (top) and Love Park sign (bottom) in Philadelphia, PA
I remember studying the lyrics to my favorite songs until I could sing them by heart. (I still do it today. And if you enjoy Brandy, Sade, Little Dragon, or the like, we can be friends 🙂)
​
I remember learning how to build a five-paragraph essay in school; spicing up my vocabulary with a thesaurus was fun! I valued the time my mom spent editing my writing with me. Her interest in my work fed my interest and motivated me to keep going.
​
I would sometimes keep journals and notes of quotes and ideas. I understood words have power when I started writing what I wasn’t comfortable saying out loud.
Me at my college graduation,
Duke University, Durham, NC
Even though language arts came easy to me, I was a sophomore in college before I majored in English. After struggling with math, I felt like I could breathe when I started writing again.
Words on pages connected me to people and started conversations. They connected me to the elementary schoolers I tutored. They connected me to my classmates–readers and writers who loved thinking about stories and the words and characters that form them.
Words have put me in front of people I may never have otherwise faced or heard.
After graduation, I worked in asset management while trying to break into the writing/editing industry as a PR intern.
Maybe the timing for that dream wasn't right, because after I started envisioning myself as an educator, I returned to school and studied elementary education instead.
​
Less than a year after earning my master’s degree and teaching certification, I had my own fourth-grade classroom. I carry nearly four years of memories with me from that role.
Me with my first fourth-grade class
Me with my second fourth-grade class and former Mayor Micozzie
My favorite part about being an educator was building relationships with my students. They taught me just as much as I taught them.
They represent countries across the globe. Some had never used a computer before we met. And some knew little to no English before fourth grade.
Yet there we were, learning to construct 5-paragraph essays, discussing course readings, and picking up vocabulary and phrases through conversations with one another.
It was remarkable, investing in them and watching them invest in themselves. More proof that words have a great impact on us.
After making the heartwrenching decision to leave teaching, transitioning to UX was a natural progression.
​
As a former educator with a background in English, writing, instructional design, and UX design, I am passionate about people and learning, and my empathy and human-centered approach to my work have led me to become a UX Writer.
​
I offer years of experience in communicating with different kinds of people–from students to stakeholders–and have grown to love the solutions-based processes I’ve learned along the way.
​
Collaborating with people to transform ideas into beautiful, functional solutions has always been a major part of my work. Let’s talk about how we can work together.
An illustration of me by DeAnne G