Growing up, I tried everything: art, science, sports, whatever my friends were into. I wasn't the best at any of it, but I loved the process. That eventually led me to ask myself:
It's a question that has shaped a lot of what I've chosen to pursue since.
I'm Jedsada Thavornfung ( ). I grew up in Thailand, and in 2016 I moved to the U.S. with my family at 16. I started sophomore year of high school not speaking English, which made for an interesting adjustment, to say the least.
Unable to speak English, I tried to be the smallest person in the room. I'd find a corner, keep to myself, and hope no one would try to start a conversation. Then I took an art class and something shifted. For the first time, I had a community, even if it was small.
My classmates couldn't always understand what I said, but they could understand what I made. The work spoke for me, and slowly, I found myself again. I didn't know it then, but I was already designing: figuring out how to say something meaningful without words, and making sure the right person felt it.
Being quiet turned out to be a strange gift. When you're not busy talking, you start watching. I noticed the way people moved through rooms, the things they said versus what they seemed to mean, the reasons behind choices that looked irrational from the outside.
The more I observed, the more I wanted to understand. That curiosity eventually led me to study Psychology at UT Austin, because I wanted frameworks for the questions I'd been sitting with for years. Not because I was naturally good at understanding people, but because I couldn't stop being curious about them.
After two gap years spent working professionally and genuinely figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, the answer became clear: I wanted to bring both of my passions together. Art and people. This led me to the MS in Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech.
Now, I don't wonder if I love the work or the idea of being good at it. I’ve found that when you truly love the craft, being “good” at it isn’t the goal; it’s the inevitable result of the obsession.
I spend a lot of my free time watching movies, drawing, and playing video games, usually with friends who are now scattered across different cities.
Favorite Films and TV Series
God's Own Country
Moonlight
Shrinking
House of the Dragon
Avengers: Endgame
Favorite Musicals / Music Films
Mamma Mia! (2008+)
Click on the disc to listen to one of my favorite song from the film.
Pitch Perfect (2012+)
Click on the disc to listen to one of my favorite song from the film.
Hamilton (2015)
Click on the disc to listen to one of my favorite song from the film.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Click on the disc to listen to one of my favorite song from the film.
Wicked (2024+)
Click on the disc to listen to one of my favorite song from the film.