Reflections

When I was very young, I did not know how to speak a single word of English. It wasn’t unusual, because I grew up in Romania where hardly anyone spoke it. One day, my father brought home children’s cartoons that were exclusively in English. I had to take the initiative to learn an entirely new language just to understand them. 

The strangest part about it, however, was that I taught it to myself when I was just a toddler. I first taught myself the most common words and phrases, working out the structure of the language and meaning through context. Later, I taught myself to use my family’s sound recorder, and I recorded my own voice saying the words and then play it back to reinforce the pronunciations. I also learned how to play the DVDs to begin the lessons on my own.

I was an independent learner, and I took my own initiative to learn an entirely separate language with only the help of a few cartoons. Eventually, my skills in the language came to such a point where I now speak it fluently, as if I were a native speaker. It was to the point where I even learned to read and write in English faster than my parents realized I could. When my signature was needed for my green card, I was able to sign it without issue despite being a toddler.

At the time I didn’t think too much about the process. However, looking back, I can see the fundamental steps I took in being able to drive myself to learn, and maintaining that determination without any short term benefits. Even now, as my skill set grows, I enjoy the challenge that comes with learning new concepts and improving on my abilities. Outside my classes, I enjoy applying what I learn to my own projects, such as the flags and logos I design in my spare time.

I found these designing emblems and logos very interesting in my teenage years, getting a rudimentary understanding of the principles of graphic design. I honed these skills at Freestyle Academy, a program in highschool where I could study Graphic Design, Digital Media, and self direct my learning.

Teaching myself English as a toddler has not only helped me learn the language, but it developed my drive to pursue learning about what I’m passionate about. I want to develop my skill in design and go farther than what I would have imagined playing with toy trains, not knowing how important the language I just learned would be to me.

Today, I continue to push myself to learn about graphic design, and take my already existing knowledge to the next level. My curiosity is how I was able to learn the English language so quickly, and why I was able to pick up Graphic Design. As a graphic designer, I plan to bring this passion to whatever I do next, so that I can strive and accomplish what I desire.