Hello! My name is Pamela Cruz-Jimenez, and I am a fifth-year student studying graphic design at UW! My journey has been a wild roller coaster to say the least. I started my college journey on the Legal Studies route, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t my passion. Although I desired a change, I was too scared because I knew deep down, I wanted to pursue a path in the arts, and I began to think about how crazy and wild a dream that was. As I continued the Legal Studies route, I began to feel a significant amount of burnout. It wasn’t until my Junior year that I reached a breaking point and knew I had to make the switch. I was so terrified, but I had never felt so free to finally find myself again.
Fast forward to now, I am so proud of the person I am and am so thankful to myself and my support system for believing in me. Since making the switch, I’ve had the honor of contributing to meaningful campus projects, including designing a pin for the Latine Cultural Center and creating the logo for the March Up Bascom event that opens Latine History Month.
Being able to create inclusive and accessible designs that represent my community is what motivates me to keep going. I used to believe that pursuing the legal route was the only way I could help my community; however, through the arts, I’ve discovered that I can shed a colorful light on our stories, amplify our voices, and create spaces where everyone feels seen!
