If my life were a novel . . .

. . . this would be the back-cover blurb

Picture this: a shy, quiet girl in a cornfield-filled midwestern town, buried in books of faraway lands, epic heroes, and protagonists coming into their own. For as long as I can remember, I loved hearing, reading, and watching stories of those who lived epic lives, changing the lives of those they came into contact with, and living to the fullest because every second counts. I always wondered if I would ever write & create a life story so fulfilling. 

Turns out, I have spent most of my life chasing that ideal: hopping from country to country, soaking in every moment I could to keep for myself in my memory storage, and meeting wonderful people along the way. I have always had a desire to know others fully and to be fully known. Those who led lives so completely different from mine: what is it like to be them? What goes on in their mind when they are faced with the same challenges that every individual faces at one time or another? How can I understand them on a deeper level? 

I spent the majority of my college career away from my university--The Butler Bubble. I like to say I majored in study abroad. I spent every possible moment assimilating into different cultures, learning new languages, and gaining all of the knowledge I could on the people I had the pleasure of meeting during that time. I came to realize that no matter where you are in the world, no matter how different the beliefs and cultures are, human nature is all the same. We are all ultimately searching and longing for the same thing: a happy life. Now, how each individual may go about obtaining happiness is very different country to county, city to city, heck--even home to home. My deepest desire is to understand the “why & how” behind individuals’ behavior.

With that recognition, I began questioning what I wanted to spend my time doing for the waking, working hours of my days. My time is valuable and I want to spend it doing something I find passion and purpose in. I decided I wanted to put my natural, passionate curiosity to good use and devote my life to User Experience Research & Design.

You mean to tell me I can be empathetic while being creative while being analytical while making a difference in the quality of life for others? Sign me up!

And there you have it--Mariah Sells: Traveler/Assimilator Extraordinaire turned UX Explorer. All you really need to know about me, however, is this: I am Mariah Sells—Thoughtful Mind, Creative Heart, Passionate Human.