Kendal Shride
About me
Hi! My name is Kendal, and I am a recent graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where I received a bachelor's degree in advertising. At the moment, I am exploring different opportunities within advertising and related fields. This site is designed with the objective to showcase some of my work and give you a quick glimpse into my background.
My journey into advertising
I have always loved photography and started exploring the idea of photojournalism while in high school. I joined the school newspaper where I wrote articles, contributed weekly photo stories, and managed the school's social media. When it came time to choose a college, I had a lot to consider. I was a life-long gymnast and really wanted to compete in college. So, I accepted both an academic and an athletic scholarship at Azusa Pacific University in California, majoring in journalism and competing on their acrobatics and tumbling team.
After the first few semesters, I decided that I wanted to major in advertising. I'm fascinated by what makes people tick and the way that images and words can work together to form a significant impression, guiding people's decisions. APU does not offer an advertising major or an advertising focus in their journalism school, so I switched from journalism to design with a minor in marketing. I soon realized that while I was learning a lot, it was a roundabout way of achieving my career goals for the sake of keeping an athletic scholarship. I began searching for schools with solid advertising programs and quickly landed on UIUC, beginning my junior year as an official advertising major.
During my two years at UIUC, I joined the school's chapter of the American Advertising Federation and worked as a strategist, account director, and a graphic designer for several of AAF Illinois' student-run agencies.
When I'm not studying...
It's true that most of my time, like most students, is spent learning. I'm buried in a book or my laptop pretty much non-stop. But, I do like to make the most of my little bit of spare time.
Music
I have an entire wall of vinyl! My pride and joy are all of the records that I have collected over the years. I love old classic rock, but I'm also into indie music. I enjoy finding new music and new artists and having the opportunity to see them in small venues around Portland before they get so "big" that it's hard to see them up close. My favorite concert was probably seeing Birdy at the Wonder Ballroom.
Matcha
I love everything matcha! From its color to its taste to its status as a superfood, I think it's almost the perfect food. Matcha lavender lattes from Good Coffee in Portland are probably my favorite, though I've gotten pretty good at making them at home. I've also learned to make a lot of recipes with matcha, but my most recent favorite is one for matcha brownies.
Travel
My family loves a good road trip! I've visited or driven through a big portion of the US. I've also had a few opportunities to further fuel my wanderlust by vacationing in Italy, Scotland, and England. A huge aspiration of mine is to one day study abroad!
Contact
Email: kendalshride@gmail.com
Cell: (503) 819-5291
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kendalshride
Instagram: @kendalshride
