I’m interested in how people experience systems and environments in the real world, especially in outdoor, cultural, and community settings. Alongside my UX research background, I’ve taken on hands-on roles in safety, service, and community work, from ski patrol to trail running events and cultural organizations.
These experiences have made me more attentive to how people behave, communicate, and make decisions in different situations, and how context, environment, and human interaction shape an experience beyond the screen.
Service & Community Experience
Alpine Ski patrol | Frontline Service & Operational ImprovementI joined Boyne Resorts as an alpine ski patroller, combining my interest in outdoor environments, emergency response, and hands-on problem solving. The role requires clear communication, situational awareness, and quick decision-making in fast-moving mountain conditions.
Frontline Support
I respond to medical incidents, assess injuries, provide first aid, stabilize and transport patients, and support emergency procedures such as lift evacuations. I also help manage daily mountain safety by identifying hazards, opening terrain, and completing end-of-day sweeps.
Working with injured or distressed guests has strengthened my ability to communicate clearly, reduce anxiety, and adapt to people’s needs under pressure.
Observing and Improving Operations
My UX background also shapes how I approach patrol operations. I pay attention to how information moves between patrollers and dispatch, and where small communication gaps create unnecessary friction.
One recurring issue was limited visibility into staffing at a patrol standby station. I suggested that patrollers call out the remaining headcount whenever they left. This simple change reduced repeated radio check-ins and gave dispatch a clearer real-time view of available coverage.
What I Took Away
Ski patrol has made me more interested in how people, tools, environments, and communication systems interact in real-world conditions. It has also strengthened my interest in field research and product experiences in sports and outdoor environments, where context and behavior can reveal things that are difficult to understand from a screen alone.
好野haoye podcast| Co-host & ProducerHaoye(好野) is a Chinese-language outdoor sports podcast co-hosted by two women, covering trail running, climbing, cycling, mountaineering, and the broader outdoor experience.
We talk about what it means to participate in these sports from a female perspective, including training, progression, injuries, setbacks, the effort behind improvement, and how sports shape confidence, identity, and personal growth.
Through our own experiences and conversations with others, we hope to make outdoor sports feel more open, honest, and relatable, while sharing the realities behind the adventures people usually see from the outside.
Volunteer Work | Community, Events & Field ExperienceI’ve volunteered across museums, cultural events, film festivals, and trail running races, working directly with visitors, participants, and event teams in public-facing environments.
These experiences have given me another way to observe how people navigate unfamiliar spaces, respond to information, and interact with services and event systems in real time.
Working Across Different Environments
At the American Museum of Natural History, I supported a Lunar New Year cultural event, helping facilitate activities and communicate cultural context to visitors.
At the New York Film Festival, I supported event setup, logistics, and audience flow, gaining firsthand experience with how physical environments, information, and operations shape the visitor experience.
In Washington State, I’ve volunteered at trail running events with Evergreen Trail Runs and Rainshadow Running. My roles have included sustainability support, race operations, and medical assistance for injured runners.
Observing the Participant Experience
Across these settings, I pay attention to how people move through an experience, where they become confused or need support, and how communication and operational decisions affect them.
Outdoor races make this especially visible. Participants are often tired, under physical stress, and making quick decisions, which makes clear information, intuitive processes, and responsive support particularly important.
What I Took Away
These experiences have strengthened my interest in field research and real-world user behavior, especially in environments where physical context, human interaction, and service systems all influence the experience.
They also remind me that many usability problems do not happen on a screen. They happen in the spaces, workflows, and moments around the product.
Alfa Art Gallery | Visitor Experience & Community EngagementAt Alfa Art Gallery, I supported both artists and visitors across digital and in-person touchpoints, coordinating exhibition information, website and social media content, artist communications, and event operations.
During exhibitions and events, I also worked directly with visitors, introducing artworks and helping create an approachable experience for audiences with different levels of familiarity with art. I focused on making information clear, timely, and accessible across the gallery’s website, social channels, and physical space.
I also introduced more consistent social content featuring artists, artworks, and behind-the-scenes moments, helping increase visibility and engagement around exhibitions and events. The experience gave me an early understanding of how content, communication, physical environments, and human interaction work together to shape the overall visitor experience.
