“I’ve done equity work and inclusion work within the workplace – really advocating for underrepresented communities and the disabled community being one of them, says Zariah Cameron, co-director of community and research, Aroko Cooperative.

Cameron joined WorkingNation’s editor-in-chief Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation Overheard at SXSW EDU 2024 in Austin.

She notes the value of apprenticeship in her own journey. “I think it was the very first step for me of introducing the possibilities of my career, of the impact that I wanted to make. Apprenticeship was really a way for me to upskill in a way of gaining the experience that I really wanted in the user experience design space.”

Cameron continues sharing her experience, “It was the first time that I was able to really grasp the sense of community in an environment that I was able to learn something I really cared about. I had studied design for a little bit, but a lot of times academia isn’t always set up to match with the progression of how fast the industry is going.”

She adds advocating for others to have the same opportunity she had has helped her become a community leader.

Learn more about Aroko Cooperative.