UPAAN Onward & Upward with Akeiylah DeWitt

Akeiylah DeWitt (she/her) is a UPA graduate of 2016. She obtained a BS in Cognitive Science, and an MS and PhD in Human-Centered Design and Engineering. She was initially drawn to cognitive science to learn more about how brain anatomy, psychology, and cognition are interconnected. She decided to pursue her PhD to explore how people engage with technology as they navigate their health. Currently, you’ll find her working at Google in Los Angeles as a User Experience (UX) Researcher. There, she researches how advertisers create and implement ad campaigns using tools that Google or other companies offer. Her role is to understand how they do this work, and make suggestions for improvements to Google products that align with what advertisers need.

See the wisdom Akeiylah shared with the UPAAN community below.

Are there resources you wish you had used more at UPA?

I wish I had asked for help more when I needed it. I struggled so much in my math and science classes, and retrospectively I could have asked for help from my teachers after school. I learned in college that office hours meant the professors will answer every question you have, no matter how simple, and I am certain that UPA teachers would have done the same if I asked.

Are there any teachers, programs, or extracurriculars that had a significant impact on you?

I am really thankful for the college tours during my junior year. Physically being on a college campus made me feel like I belonged. I also got exposed to all the different programs I could participate in, and heard from current students about their experiences first-hand. Even though we didn’t visit the college I decided to attend, I knew what questions to ask during my personal college tours, and had other experiences to compare with.

How did you transition from high school to college or the workforce?

I felt prepared for college after taking classes at UPA! At the time, I didn’t realize how the workload and content of the classes mirrored the things I would encounter in college. I spent a lot of time worrying that I wouldn’t be prepared, and in hindsight that time worrying would have been better spent appreciating my summer break. Overall, I focused more on extracurriculars in college because I wasn’t stressed about class workload. Those extracurriculars had a huge impact on where I am now in my career.

What advice would you give students considering your career or college path?

For people interested in a research career, I highly recommend reaching out to PhD students at universities (anywhere in the world, especially given that remote work is so easy now) and asking them to talk about their research with you. My opinion is that you can’t learn to do research by just reading about it- you have to try it out yourself! PhD students are usually excited to share their work and connect with high school and college students. These conversations can lead to research opportunities that you may not have had otherwise.

What high school skills or lessons do you still use today?

Definitely my collaboration skills. I worked on a lot of collaborative projects at UPA that made me see the value in working with people with different perspectives and strengths. Most of the best projects I worked on at UPA were collaborative!

How do you suggest students balance academics, extracurriculars, and personal life?

Focus on your mental health and all else will follow! After seeing a therapist, I learned that things like procrastination or “laziness” weren’t behaviors that were embedded in who I am. I learned that they were a symptom of bigger problems like anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout. Learning this helped me move to treat the root cause of my problems, and understand when to give myself grace when I was struggling. If things are starting to feel overwhelming, take a step back and see what needs to change to prioritize your mental health.