Alumni Stories

Kenzie Grad Joins the Fight Against COVID-19

covid-19 masks

 

LeighAnn FeatheringillMany of us have been sitting at home on edge the last couple of months, and naturally, coping strategies have looked different for us all too. For LeighAnn Featheringill, a January 2020 graduate of Kenzie’s UX Engineering program, coping looked like getting involved in the fight against COVID-19.

LeighAnn’s Kenzie Journey

LeighAnn’s path to Kenzie was serendipitous (or, as Bob Ross would say, “a happy little accident”). She knew she wanted to be in a creative role and was searching for a career that would provide both stability and fulfillment. Drained by her staffing job, and with an interest in the arts, LeighAnn was in the midst of figuring out what to do next.

“I was working in staffing when I found an ad for Kenzie Academy on Craigslist,” LeighAnn said. “I was actually trying to get out of staffing and discovered UX Design as a result of discovering Kenzie. I enrolled within 2 weeks because I decided it was going to be a really good fit for me. Finding UX was an incredible relief. It was a path that would be both fulfilling and sustainable for me. I leapt because I finally saw the path forward after a decade of wrestling with how to have both fulfillment and stability.”

Her time at Kenzie was both challenging and rewarding as she tried to balance her coursework with raising her son, who was less than a year old at the time.

“Coming through Kenzie, I’ve changed so much as a person,” LeighAnn said. “I’ve grown a lot. A huge part of that is how challenging it was to go through Kenzie. Another big part was the support network and the work Kenzie does to create community and drill into students’ heads that tech is for you if you want it to be.”

Using Design to Fight COVID-19

LeighAnn was in the midst of job searching and had even received a verbal offer when Indianapolis began implementing social distancing measures. Her search (and the offer) were suddenly put on hold as many companies went into hiring freezes, and she began spending her time at home with her young son. She’d seen friends post about sewing and donating masks to local hospitals and was struck with an idea.

“They were all posting about this on Facebook and I was in the think tank, which is what I call my shower, and it just popped into my head,” LeighAnn said. “I’ve got two sewing machines and I’m stuck at home. I just needed something to do that wasn’t learning or looking for a job.”

“At this point, we were hearing people didn’t have PPE, which is still a huge problem,” LeighAnn said. “So I decided I was gonna start making masks. Every time I had a new idea of how to expand and further the impact I was going to have with this, I’d take action without fear of how I would be received.”

She put a call out on social media to see if others might be interested in helping out too, and eventually ended up with around 20 volunteers. People began donating sewing machines to LeighAnn and her team. Several spreadsheets and a GoFundMe later, LeighAnn’s team has produced and donated a large number of masks to organizations like Community North Hospital, Life’s Journey, and Damar Services. Individually, LeighAnn has produced over 50 masks and notes she can make about 10 in a full-time shift.

“It kind of feels like we’re working on a war effort in a way,” LeighAnn said. “It makes me think of all of the people who came together during World War II to manufacture things for the war effort. Whenever I get tired or feel like I don’t want to keep doing this, I just remember the impact, even though I can’t immediately see it because I’m stuck at home. Everybody needs a mask at this point.”

Want to get involved? LeighAnn suggests people find a Facebook group in their area helping out with mask-making. Those in Indianapolis can check out the Indy Sewing Masks group. People in the Kenzie Family who need a sewing machine or materials can reach out to LeighAnn personally.

“I think this is better than sitting around and being anxious,” LeighAnn said. “If you want to get involved, do it.”


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