Rossi is excited to pursue a career in tech.

Earlier this year, Rossi Quinn walked into WMCAT full of creativity and ambition. They were excited to pursue a career in art – a desire they discovered while in WMCAT’s Teen Arts + Tech Program – but weren’t sure what opportunities were available or where to start. “All I knew is that I wanted to do something in the realm of being creative,” they said.

Enter Step Year, WMCAT’s curriculum-based career and college exploration program. Through Step Year, students experience a variety of post-secondary opportunities through field trips, guest speakers, workshops, and self-discovery. For Rossi, one of the best parts of the program – aside from new friendships – was the opportunity to sit down with a local user experience designer whose own career journey began with graphic design. After hearing the designer share their story, it clicked: Rossi could see their own future in art through the lens of technology.

Rossi plans to apply their love for hands-on creativity to a career in user interface and experience design. Their next steps will take them to Kendall College of Art and Design to pursue a degree in their chosen field. Rossi will also explore computer coding and expand their knowledge of software development, plotting their own career journey with the tools and passions they developed in Step Year.

Rossi’s plan for their future, presented at the end of the Step Year program.

“It’s really reassuring to know that while I’m taking these next steps in life, if I ever need help or guidance that the WMCAT community will be there.”

Learn more at wmcat.org/stepyear.