My name is Kyla Oyamot and this is my Lambda story:

To begin, I had not even heard of UX Design until about 3 months ago. I was completely ignorant to the fact that Web Design or Media Design had a career that involved more than graphic/web designers and programmers. I answered my “I want to be a… when I grow up” when I decided to go to the Art Institute of Seattle to pursue a degree in Media Arts and Animation.

I successfully completed my BFA in 2007 and had a decent sized network for job leads, but in a strange twist of events that involved moving and a little bit of self-discovery, I received an offer to become a tattoo artist.

I have been tattooing for nine years now and had no intention of stopping. That was until about four months ago when I had to cut my tattooing hours and replace my income by driving Uber. I noticed that I developed arthritis one of my knuckles and my body just screamed in agony at the end of every day.

Driving Uber has not been a terrible replacement, however my passion is and will always be art, and the human experience. I found myself between a rock and a hard place. This is primarily due to the fact that my degree has become outdated and I had no known outlet to express myself.

I am an avid Instagram user, and while scrolling through stories I saw an ad for Lambda School and the UX program and immediately felt a connection. I clicked the link, did an incredible amount of research, and one of the most standout descriptors of UX was the word “empathy.” A User Experience designer creates products with empathy for its customers.

With this information fresh in mind, I decided that this was the new career path for me. “Kyla Oyamot: UX Designer.” I signed up for the pre-course work, and before I knew it, here I am on the 28th of May, starting my first day of school.

I feel as if being out of school for more than 10 years is exceptionally nerve-wracking. I have an ever-growing list of fears and self-doubt:

1. Am I too old to start a new career in technology?
2. Will I be able to keep up?
3. Am I good enough?
4. What if I don’t succeed and everyone down?
5. What if I don’t get a job afterwards? What am I going to do then?
6. Is this what I really want to do?

Now, I’m going to be honest, at first I was extremely hesitant to tell anyone that I am starting a school that doesn’t ask you to pay anything while you are attending, and that they ask you to pay them back a certain percentage only after you make $50,000. On top of worrying about my family being suspicious of an ISA school, I was also worried about them asking me the very questions on my list. And at that moment, I wasn’t sure if I had an answer.

After a certain point, I became frustrated with my self-doubt. It was time to change my thinking around. As a result, I created another list for inspiration and positivity:

1. You love learning! Why wouldn’t you be able to keep up?
2. You can do whatever you put your mind to.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
4. What do you have to lose?
5. You are smart and talented. (Courtesy of my mom)
6. This career path is all the things you’ve dreamed about.

And with this list, however cheesy, I became excited. I looked into UX pioneers, different roles within the User Experience umbrella, and definitely read student stories. I also started researching UX jobs in my area, and in potential cities I wouldn’t mind relocating to and found myself dreaming about my future. The more I researched, the more excited I got. I am excited for my future and all the possibilities that Lambda will offer me.

And with this excitement, I puffed my chest out with pride and began to tell people about Lambda and how my life is about to go through a whirlwind of change. I will forever be grateful to Lambda for sparking this new passion in me, and above all believing in me.