Check Out Emma Kalayjian’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Kalayjian.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sure thing. So I’ll start off by saying I first discovered I was interested in cars when I was little, but I thought it was the equivalent of being fascinated with…toasters. This was mostly due to not having any immediate family or friends that shared the same interest. When I was in high school, oh man, learning to drive? Forget about it. I was on cloud nine! The freedom you feel and that car-driver relationship you have with your ride or die…that experience was what solidifed my passion. Even at this age, I had started making friends who shared the same interest as me, but they were moreso the stereotype “car guys”. Nothing wrong with that, however, the space still felt intimidating when there was no one socially in these car meets who I could really relate to. I think most people assumed I was there because I was someone’s girlfriend.

Fast forward to college and I slowly but surely found my way with who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. I came in a wee fresh(wo)man thinking I was destined to make Superpowl ads for Audi. Side note-if you haven’t seen their ads yet, check them out. Gold. Through trial and error I discovered I was moreso into computer science than I was marketing, which is what brought me to studying UX Design. Throw in an automotive industry internships and joining the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers, and I was hooked. The motorsports world, transportation design, programming, engineering, the whole bubble that surrounds car culture…what started off as an instinctual passion had slowly morphed into a true dedicated calling.

Fast forward to where I am today as a UI (User Interface) Designer for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. You might be thinking, “but wait…that’s space” and you would be right. One thing I’ve learned over recent years is that we can plan and God always has a better idea. We are much more passengers than we are pilots. I found my way over to JPL one fateful day at a University career fair after about 60+ rejections from automotive companies. This has been the biggest learning experience for me, being exposed to the aerospace world after pursuing automotive. Now I’m able to do something I never even thought about: learning design patterns and human behavioral patterns in both industries, exploring ways to streamline the interface systems within both capacities so that there may be even further cohesion in design, and bridging the gaps between these two vehicle types. In other words…my next pursuit is to design a “space car” if you will. There’s actually a few places already working on projects like these, which is incredibly exciting. It would be a dream to be the acting UX Designer on such a vehicle.

On a side note, now I’m expanding my endeavors into the entertainment world by working on producing automotive content at full-scale production level. My end goal is to have one project I’m working on be hosted on Netflix or at a similar large scale.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Something I struggled with initially is trying to overcome what I like to call my “Elle Woods” demeanor in order to be taken seriously.

Honestly, learning to embrace that part of me is what enabled me to take myself seriously. Truth is, both masculine and feminine energies are highly advantageous in certain settings. Learning to appreciate both and how to alchemize both energies…that’s when magic happens. As I continue to grow in my career, I want to empower womxn-identified individuals to do the same: embrace both feminine and masculine energies to develop a clear direction while enjoying the journey at the same time.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In one phrase, my title is this: Auto-Aero UX Designer & Content Creator

My aim is to bridge gaps in multiple ways. Bridge gaps in understanding, for one. Create educational content that is both purposeful and entertaining regarding car culture. I want to remove that “black box” element that so many of us have when it comes to our relationship with our cars. Creating appreciation and dual partnership between masculine and feminine energies is another mission of mine. We all carry both and we need both. I’ll put it metaphorically- much like the roaring engine from solid engineering and the beautiful bodywork from cutting-edge design, both are equally necessary in order to make one well-rounded machine. Oh, that’s another gap I have enjoyed bridging: Engineering and Design. Classic left and right brain example.

I think what sets me apart is being an active participant on both sides of the bridge in order to better identify the gaps that need closing. What do they call that, empathy? Yeah, that thing.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
So I’ll be honest, it would be easy for me to say “my favorite memory was this!” but the truth is my childhood felt more like a mini adulthood.

I grew up in a toxic home so I always felt like a mini adult. While it’s a hard thing to share, I think it’s important to make it clear that success often comes from the pits. It takes so much energy just to get out of there, that this amazing drive gets instilled in you. At least, that’s what happened to me. Somewhere along the way I developed this mindset of “I didn’t come this far to only come this far”. The phoenix was so special because it rose from ashes, not from gold. It’s what you do with what you’re given that matters. That’s the message I hope to get across to any readers out there: don’t be ashamed of your story, not one bit. Be proud of everything that’s gone into the awesome human you are.

That being said, the day I officially got my driver’s license was pretty tops for obvious reasons.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.emmasage.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spicycarrot_/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ekalayjian
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/spicy_carrot_?lang=en

Image Credits
Hannah Potts, Tamar Abrilian, Garrett Salmi