Finding the right career path: John’s story

Finding the right career path is rarely linear. For John, a member of the very first CSF Scholar cohort and a first-generation college student, CSF played a key role in providing him with the capacity to explore his options unburdened by the cost of tuition.

John’s path to finding his dream career began while attending Cleveland High School in Seattle. He planned to become an industrial designer, and he was thrilled to be one of only 15 graduating high school seniors out of a class of 400 who was accepted into a university. He was also the first in his family to attend college.

“CSF helped me focus on school and not worry about tuition,” he says. “If it wasn’t for the support of CSF, I might not have even considered going to college.”

Exploring careers

Initially John planned to study industrial design at the University of Washington. But the program closed before he could get started, so he ended up graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary visual arts not sure exactly how he would apply it.

Over the next four years, he explored his many interests through a variety of career fields. He studied animation, interned as a civil engineering drafter, worked as an auto mechanic, and managed an auto body shop before he went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts in industrial design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This path took his career in a direction that brought all his passions together.

Dreams become reality

John now owns and operates his own company, LIOE Design, where he creates and produces innovative, quality products. He and his business partner (who is also his wife) eventually moved the business from Silicon Valley back to Seattle. They do everything from initial concept to prototype to production marketing and sales.

“During college, I discovered that I wanted to find a career that felt like not having to work a day in my life. This became a reality when I became an industrial designer and opened my own company,” John says.

A valuable journey

Reflecting back on his journey, John recognizes the valuable skills and lessons he learned while on the path to finding his dream career. They include teamwork and how to quickly and creatively solve problems. “Time is never wasted,” he says. “You take that knowledge and carry it with you in life.”

He also emphasizes the important role higher education played in his success. “Having a degree opened the door to many career options for me,” he says. “CSF gave me the opportunity take this first important step in my life journey.”