Happy International Women's Day!
Here at Grand Apps our team couldn't run as smoothly or efficiently without the amazing women in our office. Every day they're kicking butt in their work lives and personal lives and keeping up with the Grand Apps life style of staying motivated and reaching goals.
To celebrate we asked all of the women in our office to answer some questions about what keeps them motivated and what they love about their jobs. Read on to see what they said!
JADE GARCIA
Creative
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
To me International Women's Day is a day to not only celebrate and be proud of all of my personal accomplishments as a multiracial woman, but also to recognize and celebrate all the strong women across the world that are making a positive difference. It is a day for women to come together and reflect on where we were as a gender, where we are now, and were we want to go in the future.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I love that here at Grand Apps I am able to grow my creation skills and as an individual. At Grand Apps no two days are alike which not only allows work to stay fresh and exciting, it also forces you to adapt to the situation to get what you need done.
It is also a plus that I am passionate about the work I do here and I work with some pretty talented and amazing people.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
I would say graduating from Alma College with a Bachelor of Arts and landing this job as full time creative at Grand Apps is my biggest achievement so far. I have worked so hard to get to this point and I am very proud of myself for all that I have done so far that allows me to be in the position I am here at Grand Apps. I am excited to see where my work ethic will take me in the future.
What’s one goal you have for the future?
Become a Creative Director.
Who’s your role model?
My brother Jace is my role model.
What’s something that motivates you?
Being financially free and constantly striving to be better than the person I was yesterday is what motivates me.
MELISSA BOVERHOF
Lead Developer
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It's a reminder to look at my own career and life as a woman.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Learning and doing new things; then seeing those things accomplish the goals of the client.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
Achieving versatility and expertise in multiple fields. Graphic Design, Web/Responsive Design, Front End Development, SEO and AdWords.
What’s one goal you have for the future?
Push my career and skills to the next level. I know that's vague, but it's the truth.
Who’s your role model?
I don't have a role model per-say, but there are a few people that I look up to for advice. One of my college professors was very encouraging to me as a woman entering the male dominated field of development. She told me to not get discouraged by the lack of female co-workers, but use that as a reason to try even harder and make a path for the women coming behind me.
What’s something that motivates you?
The high I get from diving into something that has never been done before and then watching it work in real life is amazing. Working towards that outcome is very motivating for me. Also, a good cup of coffee helps :)
CASSIE CLARK
Social Media Manager
What does International Women's Day mean to you?
It’s a day when I praise the bad ass women in my life & how lucky I am to have them. It’s hard to find good girl friends! I feel fortunate to have positive female relationships in my life.
What's your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy working in a collaborative & creative environment. Not to mention our team is awesome.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
I’m genuinely happy with my life and I think that’s an achievement. A lot of people spend a lot of their lives being sad. Getting out of a dark place takes a lot of reflection, time, and effort to actually make positive changes.
What's one goal you have for the future?
A personal goal of mine in 2018 is to learn how to use my camera at its fullest potential while teaching myself photography along the way!
Who's your role model?
My mom. She gives honest advice - even when it might sting at first. She’s always protected and stuck up for her daughters. I wish I would’ve listened to her in high school because I would’ve saved myself a lot of useless heart ache. I am also very fortunate to have a great relationship with my mom, I respect her & love her. ️
What's something that motivates you?
Eventually I’d like to work for myself and have 6-7 clients. To get to that point, I have to learn, gain experience, and learn to be more of a people person.
NIKKI TRAMPER
Social Media Intern
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
This is tricky because I have never been asked, informed, or even participated in anything relating to International Women’s Day and I believe that says something for itself. I do not ‘celebrate’ the day because everyday I trust there is recognition to the women who deserve it for their triumphs. Women not only deserve the day, they deserve a lifetime of celebration, as do men.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I love the creativity I get to express and being able to interact with small businesses as they grow.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
Personally I would see my biggest achievement being accepted into Davenport as a freshman and having more college credit than high school.
What’s one goal you have for the future?
To lead a shelter emptying campaign for an animal shelter. This has been something I have had my heart set on for quite some time.
Who’s your role model?
Personally my dad is my role model, without him in my life I have no idea who I would be. He is so passionate and works harder than anyone I know. Without him I would have never been so eager to learn and to be a leader whenever I am involved in a group. He has shown me through example that you have to work for what you want rather than be gifted it, but gift to those who you love.
What’s something that motivates you?
My motivation stems from wanting to be comfortable in life as well as provide for many four legged companions, some who have been deemed as ‘imperfect’ or ‘disabled’.
HANNAH SPLAN
Creative Intern
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International women's day means a celebration of women around the world and all of their accomplishments, celebrating women for being women.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is creating something that I'm proud of and seeing it out in the real world.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
Going back to college and graduating with a degree that I thoroughly enjoy.
What’s one goal you have for the future?
One goal I have for the future is to create something that is circulated on a national/international level.
Who’s your role model?
Paula Scher has had a lot of influence on me as a women in the design industry.
What’s something that motivates you?
The desire and drive to live a good life that one can be proud of in the end.
MAGGIE LASLEY
Creative Team Manager
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
To me, International Women's Day is a day to recognize all the incredible women in the world and emphasizes the need for gender equality. We've made so much progress, but we're not there yet, and this day is a way to recognize that and look at what we, as individuals, can do to help support women in the fight for equality.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
The challenge! There is something new to learn every day.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
Oh man, I'm pretty proud of how far I've come since graduating from college, but by far I think my most impressive achievement so far was in my first internship. I was 18 and started a remote internship with a national publication, not only was it my first internship ever, but I interviewed and reported on 50 of the top women in their respected field and had it published.
What’s one goal you have for the future?
I'll be honest and say I don't think about the future beyond the next couple of years very often. An immediate goal I have is to step outside of my comfort zone to open myself up to new opportunities.
Who’s your role model?
There are so many people I admire, but my godmother definitely tops the list. She has been through so much, but continues to be one of the kindest, hardest working people I have ever met.
What’s something that motivates you?
The people in my life motivate me to try to be my best self every day.
KENDALL HART
Creative Intern
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women's Day is a time to celebrate myself and all of the amazing women that surround me on a daily basis. It's a day to reflect on how women have been changing the world and how they will continue to do so.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I love being able to work with a lot of different clients. Being able to switch from project to project every day keeps me in a great creative mindset. I also love being able to expand my knowledge of social media and learn how to use it to its full potential.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?
My biggest achievement so far is graduating college. There were a lot of moments where I was in the wrong major and I just wanted to drop out, but I kept persisting and found the right major for me and am able to work in a career field that I love.
What’s one goal you have for the future?
I'd like to go further with my art, whether it's painting, hand lettering, photography, I hope to be able to spend more of my time immersing myself in creating.
Who’s your role model?
Michelle Obama. She is the epitome of who I want to be; kind, full of grace, empathetic, well spoken. She does so much for our community and has achieved so much in her life already, I think everyone can look up to her and learn something.
What’s something that motivates you?
Pushing myself to be better than who I am today really motivates me. I always try to learn something new daily and remember to lead all of my conversations with kindness and positivity. I always hold myself to a high standard and try to work towards something bigger than myself everyday.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to share and let us know what International Women's Day means to you!