Jane Ly

With the mission of delivering creative brand design, I am a Digital Designer who highly values the stories of others and aims to highlight their one-of-a-kind journey. I am a Design Specialist for Food Bank of the Rockies and a freelance Graphic Designer for organizations such as the Colorado Youth Congress.

Being a graduate of DSST: GVR, I had the opportunity to give back to my community and spark my design passions in E-SHIP, Yearbook, Children’s Literacy Center, and JA Business Week. As I carried that knowledge throughout my college career, I have worked as a lead designer for student organizations, including the Asian Student Association, University Campus Activities, Council of Asian Student Leadership, and as a Student Involvement Ambassador for the Office of Student Life and Campus Community. But design hasn’t been my only focus.

Growing up in an immigrant household, talking about mental health was taboo and often led to false assumptions of it being a “sickness.” I was taught to be independent, hardworking, and tough to have a place in the world, but I just wanted to be myself, like the other kids at school, I wanted to find who I was. Yet, tradition always came first, or else I would let down my family, sparking my struggle to find a balance between cultures.

After starting therapy, I found that my internalized fears and pain stemmed from my childhood. Generational trauma, acculturation, and stoicism, common themes usually found in immigrant families, were conversation starters that I had no idea how to start with my family. I value stories, family, and growth. So, I ventured on to start my passion project to help AAPIDA (Asian American Pacific Islander and Desi-American) young adults of immigrant families foster difficult conversations surrounding mental health in a healthy manner. I aim to implement this project in AAPIDA organizations, mental health services, and the broader audience of the world so that they, too, can break old traditions and make their own.

So here I am, at the beginning of my professional career and the start of my entrepreneurial journey. Fortunately, everything has fallen into place in the past year. However, I know that I have so much more to show in the future. The life that I want to live is just beginning.