Amy Varela
Class of 2026
Favorite thing about being at Georgia Tech: How unexpected it can be. There’s always something happening—usually something you didn’t expect and probably you wouldn’t have looked for. It might be a random event at Tech Green you notice on your way out of class, a questionable job flyer taped to a column, or a course about some oddly specific topic. Tech has many quiet invitations, and if you pause, explore, and say yes out of curiosity, you might end up finding something useful—or at least slightly interesting.
Who do you want to design for? For anyone who needs or wants it. It doesn’t really matter who they are, what matters to me is that the design actually considers who it’s for. I care about being intentional with the way I design—making sure it responds to specific needs, the environment, and the context it’s part of. So I guess I’m drawn to situations where I will be able to understand enough about the person or place to design with care, not just by default.
What do you do for fun? I like to walk around and explore wherever I am. If something catches my eye, I’ll check it out. If there is a coffee shop nearby, I’ll stop in. I find it fun having enough time to go somewhere without a plan and just follow whatever seems interesting in the moment.
Words to describe what you thought before you started: Cautious
Words to describe what you think now: Playful