Kay graduated in 2013 with minors in Economics and Finance. She studied abroad in Berlin and San Sebastián .
Kay currently works remotely from Germany at a NYC-based creative tech agency, Sanctuary Computer, as the Associate Technical Director.
Kay’s Current Role
I’ve been working at Sanctuary Computer for the past six years. As Associate Technical Director, I co-lead a team of ~15 design-oriented software developers, supporting them to build digital products for our clients, in addition to directly leading some of the projects. I also help define the overall strategy of the studio and work on internal projects to help achieve our vision.
Kay on Cultural Differences
One culture shock that I had was that there’s not as much of an emphasis on customer service in general, and it’s noticeable in everyday interactions from medical front office staff to train ticket controllers. I just had to change my mindset and accept that they are generally “rude” to everybody (haha) and try my best at speaking German and integrating culturally!
Kay on Studying Abroad
I did two semester exchanges during my time at Baruch. I spent the summer after my Sophomore year in San Sebastian, Spain, where I studied international business at the University of Deusto. I had originally wanted to study in Asia for my full semester exchange, but my time in Spain made me fall in love with Europe, so I decided to return — this time to Berlin, Germany to study economics at the Berlin School of Economics and Law. I even wanted to stay in Germany long term, but I couldn’t find a job there right after graduation. Fast forward ten years later, I had the opportunity to move to Germany and decided to take it, and settled in Leipzig with my German partner Nicolas.
Kay on Industry Trends
Industry standards change quickly in tech, so we need to keep up and work with new technologies to take advantage of the improving capabilities. In general, we lean towards tried-and-true tools that have a large community to ensure ongoing support. Also, we’re seeing more job applications from software engineers who are burnt out from working in large corporations. They’re drawn to socially responsible companies like Sanctuary, which care for the employees’ well-being.
Kay’s Reflection for IB Students
My career path has not been straightforward, but I’ve learned about myself and gained transferable skills at every job. When I considered a career change for the second time, I thought about the job that made me the happiest, which was an internship at a gaming startup. I understand the basis of running a client services studio because of my business coursework at Baruch. All of your experiences are relevant and make you uniquely you.
Kay’s Advice for IB Students
For students interested in tech: I worked in two completely different industries before finding my “calling” and I got lucky with my timing in attending a bootcamp for my second career change. I’ve heard that these days, it’s more difficult to get into software engineering without a CS degree. But if you’re really committed and have the discipline, nothing is impossible!
For IB students generally: It’s totally okay not knowing what you want to do after college! I studied IB simply because I’ve always been interested in different cultures, but also wanted to study something practical.