A curious mind.
A thoughtful
designer.
I'm Kayla. A writer, researcher, and instructional designer who cares about what happens on the other side of a learning experience.
I like asking good questions, making complicated things clearer, and finding the human story in the work.
with paying attention.
My path into instructional design began with words: studying English and communication, tutoring writers, and figuring out how to explain complex ideas in ways that make sense to someone else.
Working in higher education brought those questions into everyday practice. I supported faculty and academic departments, taught people unfamiliar systems, and developed guides, onboarding resources, and training materials when there wasn't a clear resource to turn to.
That experience shapes how I design. I start with the people who will use the work, the task they're trying to accomplish, and the support they actually need. Then I bring research, writing, learning theory, and visual design together to make the next step clearer.
I'm continuing that work through graduate study in instructional design and technology at Mount St. Mary's University. My interest is in learning experiences that are useful, considered, and built with care.
A few chapters so far
My résumé ↗Expected May 2027
Instructional Design & Technology
M.Ed. · Mount St. Mary's University
Graduate preparation in learning design, educational technology, accessibility, and research-informed practice. Also pursuing a project management certificate.
Writing Center Tutor
Wilson College
Supporting undergraduate and graduate writers, with exercises and guides focused on organization, evidence, and revision.
Administrative Assistant II
Mount St. Mary's University
Faculty and departmental support, student-worker training, a SharePoint learning hub, process documentation, and plain-language job aids.
English & Communication Studies
B.A. · Mount St. Mary's University
Graduated summa cum laude. A foundation in writing, research, communication, and the humanities that continues to inform my design work.
A little strange.
Always curious.
The person behind the work reads widely, notices the details, and usually has another question.
The things I keep coming back to
Literature, local history, old films, published poetry, and the question of why people think and learn the way they do. Outside work, I love wandering downtown shops, reading, listening to Pill Pod, and spending time with my children.
What working with me looks like
Careful questions, clear writing, and a willingness to learn the unfamiliar. I enjoy working with faculty, subject-matter experts, and organizational teams to turn what they know into something learners can use.
The tools on my desk
Articulate, Captivate, H5P, and Camtasia for learning and multimedia; Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud for visual work; HTML/CSS and WordPress for the web; Moodle, Canvas, Teams, SharePoint, and Microsoft 365 for delivering and supporting learning.
A few things I'm proud of
The Watterson Memorial Prize, summa cum laude honors, a Parker-Dailey Fellowship, and two Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Circle recognitions for poetry. I'm just as proud of creating a useful guide where there wasn't one before.
