Embracing a human-centered approach
November 11, 2024
With her human-centered approach to life, U.S. Air Force Veteran Adaina Plaza MS’23 is solving problems and making connections wherever her path takes her.
When Adaina Plaza MS’23 completed her seven and a half year stint at the U.S. Air Force, she wasn’t exactly sure what career path she wanted to pursue.
She had entered the military right after high school, and though she gained valuable skills during her time as a bioenvironmental engineer, that work was not where her passion lied. “When I got out of the military, I was like, ‘I don’t know what I want to be, what I want to do, who I am, even,’” Adaina told GPS. “So I just started going to school.”
To explore potential interests, Adaina began pursuing an undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship and marketing. “I still didn't really know what I wanted to do,” Adaina admitted, “but I was hoping that that was going to give me some insight. I could take different courses and say, ‘Oh, I like this, or I like that,’ and then that could kind of point me in the right direction.”
Adaina’s hopes came true. During her undergraduate program, she was exposed to the user design field through conversations with my professors as a teacher's assistant — and she completely fell in love with the field. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! My brain already thinks like this, this is awesome!’” Adaina told GPS. Although she had never heard of UX design before, the field seemed like a perfect combination of her passion and skills — so, after doing some research, she decided to pursue a master’s in user experience design.
When Adaina was looking for UX master’s programs, she had a long list of requirements. “I have a bit of a unique situation,” she explained. “I’m a veteran, so I needed a degree that would take my VA benefits. And I preferred a degree that kind of jam-packed all the good information within a shorter period of time, because I only had so much of my VA GI bill left.”
As someone whose location is tied to her partner’s career, Adaina was also looking for a degree that she could earn from anywhere around the world. “So Brandeis’ program was honestly one out of one,” Adaina told GPS. “It was impossible to find another degree that met all of my particular needs.”
Because Adaina had already gained experience with a hybrid education model during her undergraduate degree, the transition to online learning was not extremely difficult. While navigating the new software took some getting used to — Brandeis’ learning platform was completely different from the one she was used to — Adaina found that she was able to successfully adapt.
However, this isn’t to say that the process of earning her degree was easy. Not only did Adaina double-up on courses each session while working part-time, but she also moved states in the middle of her program. “There were so many transitions going on at once,” Adaina said. “It was like holding your breath the entire time until the end.”
Luckily, amidst the chaos of undergoing multiple major life changes at once, Adaina found a supportive community at Brandeis Online. “A lot of the professors were really accommodating,” Adiana told GPS. “You just have to be on top of your stuff and be vocal. … Whatever the situation, they will work with you.”
This flexibility was especially helpful during Adaina’s move from Florida to Missouri. “There was one course where I needed a special ruler,” Adaina explained. “I packed all of my life into two cars, and then when it was time to actually use the ruler, it was lost somewhere, buried in all of my boxes. So I told the professor, and she was like, ‘Don’t worry about it.’” Adaina got an extension, and another student in the class was able to help her get the measurements needed for the project.
This peer support was not a one-time thing. Although Adaina admitted that being remote made it more difficult to get to know your peers, she said that group projects “created a space where you could build relationships with people.” Adaina also made sure to add all of her classmates on LinkedIn at the beginning of each session — and that’s where she was able to foster stronger connections.
These relationships certainly came in handy throughout the course of Adaina’s degree. After she moved states, Adaina no longer had in-person support system outside of her partner — so the virtual connections she formed with peers were helpful when it came to user interview assignments.
“In the Brandeis community, I did have a lot of support from whoever I reached out to,” Adaina told GPS. “And even now, if I went on LinkedIn and messaged someone, I'm sure they would respond positively.”
In fact, networking is partially how Adaina found her current job as a project manager for Bass Pro Shops. While she was initially looking for UX roles after earning her degree, Adaina found that her previous work experience made her an especially strong candidate for project management positions. Adaina says that her project management certificate — which she learned about through veteran networks on Facebook — is what pushed her over the edge, allowing her to secure this new position.
Although project management may not be entirely the same as UX design, Adaina says she still uses many parts of her degree in her new job — especially because she is designing the role herself.
“I feel like UX design is a way of thinking more than a degree, because it teaches you to look at things from the user's perspective,” Adaina told GPS. “And I absolutely am using that mindset in my day-to-day job. When I’m at work and I'm trying to figure out how to solve these problems, I'm looking at it from each department's point of view.”
In her first few months at Bass Pro Shops, Adaina has truly embraced a user-centered approach to project management. “I’m shadowing people and getting to know them, so I can fully understand where they’re coming from when they express a concern,” Adaina said. “And that’s what UX design is all about — seeing things from the customers’, from the clients’, from the stakeholders’ point of view, understanding their pain points and the things that create value for them, so that you can provide solutions that really work.”
Adaina is keeping an open mind as she continues to build her new position. “I love UX design, and I want to work towards it,” Adaina told GPS, “but I also really enjoy this position, and I’m open to going down the path of project management as well. I very much have a problem-solving mindset — and this new position is really letting me use my creativity and innovation.”
To any veterans that are trying to break into a new field — or even just feeling a little lost while figuring out their post-military plans — Adaina recommends networking above all else. “Join communities like women veterans and other groups on Facebook,” Adaina advised. “That’s how I learned about other resources I was entitled to. That’s what helped me build my resume and become more marketable in the workforce, it also helped me get the extra education and experience that got me to where I am now.”
Adaina is grateful for the relationships that she has built with fellow veterans and peers at GPS and beyond. As she continues to forge her own unique path in the worlds of project management and UX design, Adaina is looking forward to growing her network of support. With her user-centered approach to problem solving and human-centered approach to life, she is committed to making a positive impact wherever life takes her.
To learn more about the MS in User-Centered Design and other Brandeis Online programs, please visit our website. For more information on Brandeis Online's commitment to supporting veterans, visit our Military Applicants page.