Referred by her probation officer, Angel was soft-spoken and unsure of herself when she first walked through the doors of Hatch Studios (Hatch Immersive+, now Kita Studios).

She wasn’t quite certain what to expect from a design training programme – let alone imagine she’d one day become a full-time UI/UX Web Designer. 

What unfolded over the coming months was a quiet but powerful transformation.

Angel’s early days were marked with hesitation. Language barriers made it difficult for her to express herself in group settings, and design was an unfamiliar world. 

Still, she showed up, stayed curious and took each lesson as it came. 

Slowly but surely, she began to grow in confidence. Not by sudden leaps, but through a steady rhythm of trying, stumbling and trying again.

Her first breakthrough came during the programme’s capstone project. Tasked with designing a UX prototype for a real-world company, Angel was pushed out of her comfort zone. 

But something clicked. 

The process of solving real user problems through thoughtful design lit a fire in her. For the first time, she began to see design not just as a skill, but as a potential career.

That spark carried her into her next opportunity – an internship with iShopChangi where she joined the team as a User Experience Intern. There, she worked on improving the digital experience of one of Singapore’s largest e-commerce platforms. It was a big step, filled with new expectations and unfamiliar tools. 

But Angel approached it the way she had everything else – with quiet determination and an open mind.

What stood out most during this time was her growing sense of ownership. Just two months into her internship, Angel made the decision to enrol in a formal UI/UX course. It was a bold move, one that showed how far she’d come from the girl who once hesitated to speak up in class. 

She was no longer just participating – she was taking charge of her own path.

Today, Angel is working full-time as a UI/UX Web Designer at Hatch Mediahouse, the creative arm of Hatch. Her days are spent building thoughtful, user-friendly digital interfaces, something she couldn’t have imagined a year prior. She brings not just technical skill to her work, but a lived understanding of how growth often means stepping into the unknown.

And in a full-circle moment, Angel has also returned to support and train the latest batch of Studios students – sharing her journey and showing by example what’s possible.

Angel’s story is a reminder that success doesn’t always start with certainty. 

It starts with showing up. With asking questions. With taking small, shaky steps forward. 

Her journey hasn’t been easy – but it’s real, and it’s hers. And through it all, she’s found not just a career, but a sense of self-worth and direction.