As an instructional designer and writer with over seven years in the field, the Learning Technologies and Design (LTD) graduate program and User Experience and Usability (UXU) graduate certificate at the University of Missouri enhances my work, refines my career goals, and provides greater context into the best practices of instructional and user experience design.

When I originally applied to LTD graduate program, I chose the following career goals:

• Improve my design and development skills.
• Find useful solutions to learning challenges.
• Mentor others on their learning journeys.

Throughout the program, I collaborated with peers; participated in user testing, data collection, and analysis; iterated on prototypes; and explored and evaluated new tools (including the use of generative artificial intelligence). I have been able to apply what I learn about instructional design, user experience, and usability to my practice as an instructional designer. In the future, I will continue to use these principles and skills as I collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to provide innovative learning solutions and support the user experience.