I was a bit timid when I first started at the VCU Brandcenter. All I wanted to do was design behind a computer. I was so shocked by the fact that all the assignments here required team collaboration and presenting. It was uncomfortable to me, and I thought about quitting.
But as time went on, I realized that VCU Brandcenter successfully challenged me to do so many things that I never thought I could do. As I began to overcome my fears, one by one, I became efficient and fearless.
The more fearless I became, the more opportunities started opening up for me.
This summer, my teammate Xia Du (XD, 2017) and I won a Cannes Future Lion with our Amazon Emma idea. We were 1 out of 5 winners globally and the only winner from the United States. During our trip to the Cannes Lions Festival, I kept thinking that I would never have had this opportunity without the VCU Brandcenter. My professors are best in class and always ready to help. My peers are diverse, talented, and competitive. I am lucky to have spent time in an environment that does not accept mediocrity. I am grateful that I was pushed to come out of my shell.
To me, VCU Brandcenter is a place to hustle, a place to get to know yourself again, and a place that can truly turn dreams into reality.
-Yanci Wu, experience design track, class of 2017