Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Khalil.
Hi Dina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
While I do have Egyptian citizenship, I’ve never really lived there – just occasional summer visits. My roots are in Kuwait, where I was born and raised. When describing Kuwait, I often paint a picture of it being less traditional than Saudi Arabia but more conservative than Dubai.
My educational journey took me to the American University of Kuwait, where I focused on journalism, threw in a minor in business administration, and sprinkled in some elective courses in graphic design. After graduation, I decided to dive into video journalism and tried my hand at setting up an indie-style studio with friends. Unfortunately, that dream didn’t materialize, leaving me feeling a bit lost and frustrated for having explored too many paths without a clear focus.
Job hunting became hard due to the lack of professional experience, and each rejection just made me feel like a failure. That’s when I turned to volunteering to try out different activities and gain experience, hoping to stumble upon my true passion and regain some confidence. One experience that stood out was volunteering at ‘Nuqat,’ an annual conference resembling TED talks but exclusively focused on the creative field.
During one of the talks at Nuqat, the speaker stressed on how difficult coding is and that it’s not for everyone. Coincidentally, I found a free workshop titled ‘Intro to Coding’ by Women Techmakers and GDG (Google Developer Group). Despite my fear of feeling like a failure again, I signed up out of curiosity. To my surprise, I fell head over heels for coding, bringing a fresh sense of clarity to my life. Even though I’d identified my interests, I was uncertain over the next steps and didn’t know where to begin to make a profession out of what I’m passionate about.
After countless discussions with family and friends, I decided to pursue a master’s degree. With no clear direction for my research, I looked up programs that covered coding, design, and filmmaking. Google’s top result turned out to be NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). Despite my doubts about getting accepted, I thought, “What’s there to lose?”
Months passed by, then I got my acceptance letter. I was beyond happy. Upon reading my acceptance letter, tears of joy flooded in. I then ran to apply for a student visa; thankfully, the process was smooth and straight to the point. In 2019, my life has changed completely when I made the big move to New York, a city I’d always admired for its connection to figures like Jimmy Fallon. Since then, I’ve been enjoying my time here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey hasn’t been entirely smooth; it’s been marked by its fair share of challenges. However, I’ve learned to appreciate the struggle because, without those challenging moments, I wouldn’t be able to fully savor the happy ones. As cliché as it may sound, it’s undeniably true! That being said, I think understanding and adapting to different cultural norms and values would be at the top of my list. It was tough speaking English 24/7, finding food suitable for my diet, and making friends – all of this while studying and striving to create projects as impressive as my peers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a technical artist fortunate enough to collaborate with major companies like Meta, Nexus, and Google, crafting incredible augmented reality/virtual reality experiences. My passion lies in making XR (extended reality) more accessible, especially for the differently-abled community. To enhance my skills, I completed a UX/UI design and research boot camp at Columbia University. Additionally, I earned my CPACC certification to better understand and implement accessibility features in my designs. I take pride in contributing to innovative projects and working towards a more inclusive and user-friendly XR landscape.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Reading the news truly inspires me to strive for creating experiences that foster empathy and unity among diverse communities. I view it as a personal challenge to make the news more digestible and relatable through my personal projects. One of my educational resources is a fantastic YouTuber named Brackeys, who taught me the ropes of the Unity Engine. However, most of my inspiration comes from the wonderful people around me, whose stories and perspectives fuel my passion for crafting meaningful and impactful virtual experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dinakhalil.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-khalil–/
