kristel bugayong
2022 - 2024
I finished my Master's program (and my life as a Johns Hopkins Blue Jay)
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
My focus was in Health Communication.
September 2021
I moved across the US and adopted Hemmy, a talkative brown tabby who loves the smell of popcorn and cheese puffs.
As a polydactyl/Hemingway cat, she has 4 extra thumbs!
Summer 2021
In between work and volunteering, I started personal creative projects where I write and draw my own comics, like "Siren," a fantasy comic from the annual MerMay challenge on Instagram. Each page was practice in a different aspect in comic creation.
2020-2022
From the start of the pandemic, I wanted to give back to my community and reconnect with the Bay Area. I volunteered with my local LGBTQ+ center, the San Mateo County Pride Center. I built and maintained the website for the County's virtual prides of 2020 and 2021. I also made the graphics for the Pride Center's very first event series celebrating Filipino American Heritage Month (FAHM).
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I also joined San José Strong, a grassroots organization that provides a digital database for local businesses, an organizing hub, and mentorship for San José youth.
2019 - 2021
I was commissioned by Stanford Kayumanggi, Stanford University's Filipino dance troupe, to illustrate, animate, and edit two videos on Filipino folklore and dance, "Malakas at Maganda" and "Padayon."
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It was a perfect coincidence when they first reached out to me in 2019, when I was living in the Philippines for several months. I was able to do on-site research for characters and backgrounds by going to traditional clothing exhibits, documenting dance performances, and hiking in Tagaytay.
2020-2022
I started creating cartoons for the Stats section of The Nib, with the very first cartoon on the U.S.'s rising maternal mortality rate. I later went on to work on the Stats section of The Nib Magazine, on their Animals and Nature issues. Big thanks to Andy, Eleri,
and Matt (and the rest of The Nib team) for the opportunity!
2018
I graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor's in Communication. I was a graphic designer for The Stanford Daily and president of the Stanford Storyboard Club. As president, I secured grant funding from Stanford Arts to produce an annual showcase.
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I also worked as a marketing intern for the Cantor Arts Center where I made the illustrations and infographics for the Cantor's first interactive iPad exhibit, Hidden Elements, in collaboration with the Art + Science Lab.
2014
I graduated from high school as class valedictorian, with college scholarship offers totaling $1.1 million. I ultimately chose Stanford University, which offered to cover tuition in addition to room and board.
The 90s, 00s, & 2010s
I grew up in Texas, in a hometown that prides itself in its rodeo scene and barbecue. For most of my childhood, it felt like we were the only Filipino family in the city. I attended public schools until college.
March, sometime in the 1990's
I was born in Manila, Philippines.