Projects

Advocacy Statement

As a game designer and a survivor of a school shooting, I carry a unique relationship with sound. Loud, sudden audio cues can trigger panic. Despite my love for shooters, I stepped away from many of them because these sounds overwhelmed me or brought back traumatic memories.

Fortnite’s audio visualizer changed that. By translating nearby sounds into clear, on-screen visual indicators, it gives me agency over my sensory experience and lets me engage on my own terms. Originally designed for Deaf and hard-of-hearing players, it has also become a lifeline for players with trauma, sound sensitivities, or cognitive differences.

I believe features like visual sound indicators should become a standard across all shooting games. Just as subtitles and colorblind modes are expected, visual audio cues should be part of every player’s toolkit.

Design as Advocacy

Accessibility isn’t limited to physical ability. It extends to emotional safety, mental health, and cognitive inclusion. Standardizing visual audio cues can help:

• Players with PTSD or sound-trigger sensitivities
• Neurodivergent players who struggle with overstimulation
• Hearing-impaired players who rely on visual cues for awareness

By offering visual alternatives for auditory feedback, developers invite more people to safely experience fast-paced gameplay without exclusion or distress.

My Role

Creative Director & Mural Artist. I shaped the mural’s creative direction and visual concept, then helped bring the work to life by painting the final mural.

Artist Statement — Art as Conversation

“The Right to Carry” is a mural that moves beyond artistic expression to serve as commentary on the crisis of gun violence in America. As a survivor of a school shooting, my college experience has been shaped by my own search for healing. This artwork emerged from that experience and aims to advocate for change.

Set against a funeral procession, the mural brings together individuals from different backgrounds, each affected by gun violence. A casket anchors the composition as a reminder of the irreversible losses communities suffer. Bright flowers contrast with the muted palette to symbolize hope, resilience, and the possibility of change.

The piece is meant to do more than mourn. It invites reflection, dialogue, and a communal call for action.