Kory Powell-Oliver

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada!

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?

Definitely Michael B. Jordan. In most of his movies, he plays as the underdog who preserved through adversity, continued to pursue his dreams in the process, and eventually made his way to success.  The energy and personality he puts into his movies in addition to the background story of most of the characters he portrays allow me to see myself in those situations and make scenes feel very relatable.

Tell us a little bit about you.

I attended Minnesota State University- Moorhead on a Track and Field scholarship studying Graphic Communications and Spanish.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

I love to run! I used track and field as a vehicle to leave my hometown in search for newer opportunities, get an education, and provide a career for myself. Running helped me through alot of times where I needed to find peace and clear my mind. Running often served as my therapy and still does even to this day! Aside from that, I love to work with diverse groups within the Fargo-Moorhead community through outreach programs and diversity offices to teach and make accessible specific resources available to the youth for a brighter future.

What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?

I have two different colored eyes! One light brown and the other dark brown. The light brown eye is the same color as my father’s and the dark brown is the same color as my mother’s.

What part of your position provides the most value?

There are so many parts to being a Web Developer that are equally valuable, however the part that means the most to me is the client relationship. No matter what level you’re at in web development, strong communication with the client provides a stronger understanding of what solutions work best for them. I also value strong relationships with my clients because they allow the process to flow more smoothly. My goal is to keep clients reassured as much as possible and that plays a big part in my process.

Tell us about your experience.

I’ve been exposed to tech and art at a very young age. This may sound hard to believe, but my mom has had me on the computer since one year old. My father introduced me to the creative side of things at a young age too. I started out drawing alot and quickly found a way to merge both the art and tech world through visual arts. I first learned how to code at twelve years old and transitioned that ability into my high schools web design program. 
 
During college, I concentrated on web design and interactive media. I’ve also freelanced for companies locally and even had the opportunity to help construct the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s website as an internship project. I even taught through my school’s College for Kids program where I showed the youth how to design app and website mockups! I’ve been working full-time as a professional web designer and developer in the Fargo-Moorhead community for a full year now, and I’m looking forward to many more.

What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?

The ability to create web products for local or global businesses that are designed with purpose, functionality, and strategy, that brings results. 

Why does our community matter to you?

Fargo-Moorhead is a community of opportunity and it’s growing fast. I have a deep appreciation for this community because this community welcomed me with open arms and has shown me appreciation ever since. I’m honored to be a part of this community and I’m dedicated to helping others within it.

What are some of your goals at Spotlight?

Some of my goals at Spotlight involve helping improve the web processes here, providing quality solutions for clients, and most importantly, becoming a better leader and learner on a daily basis.

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