At seventeen years old, I made the announcement that all hardworking, suburban parents dread hearing: I was going to move to New York to go to art school. While this may have seemed like a flighty pipe dream at face value, I was too young and starry-eyed to choose a sturdier, straighter path for myself. I was told throughout the years by everyone from strangers to family members that there was no money in the arts, and especially no money in my passion of memoir writing.

As it turned out, my college experience was the most enchanted period of my life. While my friends were stuck in classes like “Accounting 101” and “Nineteenth Century British Literature” at other schools, I was soaking up courses like “Riot Grrrls And Radical Women” and “The Art Of The Novella.” In such a small school, I had professors who took the time to know and mentor me personally, no doubt ensuring I would grow to be the writer I am today.

Although post-graduate life was an unsure and turbulent time filled with temp jobs and retail work, I finally found a career in writing at Uno two years after graduation. In this job, I have been given opportunities to travel the country and the world, writing about my experiences, the kindhearted artisans I’ve met, and all of our products, many of which I have watched come to life through every step of their creation. Through many missteps and happy accidents, I found a career doing what I love in a steady job.

This Father’s Day, I want to thank my dad for supporting all my dreams mentally, emotionally, and financially. It was the greatest kindness I have ever been extended.

-Anna, Associate Marketing Manager- Content