Technology@Wooster

Minh Phan – STA Reflection ’25

Written by

Minh Phan

,

Guess who’s graduating? I’m Minh, an STA veteran like Jessica. Today I’ll be sharing a bird’s-eye reflection of my time as an STA.

most updated pic of me!

When I first joined as a first-year student, I was a graphic designer who knew how to wrangle Photoshop, navigate Microsoft Office, and tinker with old-school sites like DeviantArt. I even edited videos in Photoshop—yes, that was a thing. I started off just wanting to make clear, digestible posters to communicate visually with the campus community.

My oldest DeviantArt account

But watching upperclassmen like Aubry and other senior STAs showcase their technical range made me realize: I had to level up. So in my second year, I dove into vector graphics, added sound and effects to my videos, and started learning more software through hands-on troubleshooting in real classrooms. I saw firsthand how essential tech was to daily campus life—and how the STA structure itself helped me grow into a stronger technologist.

My third year was a turning point. I studied abroad, taking time off from STA and diving into hand-drawing and game development. That’s when I discovered UX design. I returned to campus energized, taught a Unity game dev workshop where every attendee got their Flappy Bird to fly, and started learning Figma, prototyping, and building out user experiences. This was the year I decided what I really wanted to do with my career.

tinker with computer graphics
A poster I designed for my co-living apartment year-end food waste initiative

In my fourth year, I stepped away from STA to focus on graduation and poured my design skills into the library’s marketing projects. I realized I’m someone who craves polish—pixel-perfect production is my default—sometimes at the cost of speed. And I learned I need to build more engineering muscle to match the speed of my design vision.

So for my fifth and final year, I returned to STA to rekindle the passion. I focused deeply on Figma as my primary tool, continued to refine my sound and video editing through Audacity, explored podcasting and photography, and learned Lightroom and InDesign for final print production. My I.S. (an animated film) became a personal capstone, combining character design, animation, VFX, sound editing, and storytelling—truly a fusion of everything I’d gained from this job.

My IS Film showcase

I also took on a senior role: helping onboard new STAs, supporting projects, and stepping into leadership—imperfectly, but wholeheartedly. I got closer to my supervisor and truly appreciated the kindness, patience, and dedication of the people I worked with. This year felt like a full-circle moment, and I leave with deep gratitude and clarity.

Projects I’m Especially Proud Of

  1. Unity Game Development Workshop
    After returning from abroad, I led a workshop on building Flappy Bird in Unity. Everyone got their bird flying—and I got over my fear of leading sessions. It was a huge confidence boost and sharpened my facilitation skills.
  2. Ed Tech Website Usability Testing with Taemour
    Senior year, I got to help test the tech department’s website. This hands-on UX testing experience was incredibly aligned with my career goals and helped me understand real user pain points.
  3. Chasing International Dance Team Branding & Marketing (Instagram)
    As artistic director, I designed viral content and cohesive visual branding across YouTube videos, brochures, and posters using STA-honed skills. It felt powerful to bring a performance vision to life with strong design principles.
  4. WooHackathon Planning with Google DSC
    Though not strictly an STA event, it was powered by everything I’d learned from STA—planning, logistics, facilitation, and design. I led a major hackathon focused on tech for social good, and I’m especially proud of how smoothly it ran.
WooHack opening ceremony ~

Skills Gained and Lessons Learned

  • Teaching & Facilitation – Running workshops and adapting on the fly.
  • UX & Usability Testing – From site audits to gathering real user feedback.
  • Technical & Visual Design – From posters to websites to game menus.
  • Prototyping & Product Thinking – Using Figma to translate vision into experience.
  • Multimedia Production – Video editing, podcasting, sound design, and animation.
  • Branding & Content Strategy – For student orgs and major events.
  • Mentorship & Leadership – Guiding new STAs, running events, and leading with heart.

These experiences have not only shaped my portfolio but have grounded me in who I am: a designer, educator, and creative problem solver. Every workshop, every troubleshooting moment, every design sprint brought me closer to a future I now feel ready to pursue.

Thinking About Becoming an STA?

If you love learning new software, solving creative problems, and helping others bring their ideas to life, this job is a launchpad. You’ll gain practical skills, community, and moments that stay with you long after graduation ~

Thank you to Educational Technology for five incredible years. I’m walking away not only with a job—but with a deep sense of purpose.

Connect with me on LinkedIn if you are stepping into UX design: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minhcphan/

Love,
Minh Phan ’25