Kaylin’s Code
By: Marley Gifford Photography by: Julia Feigus
Meet our Cover Star: Kaylin Moss ‘21
MG: How do you define beauty in software design? Moss: “There are so many different aspects of beauty in web design. On one hand, you log into a website and you see how beautiful the image that pops onto your screen looks. But for me, there is much more. You have to make sure spacing is right, fonts are big enough, and that buttons are angled correctly. But the true beauty of a website comes from the combination of visual aesthetics and functionality. Can a user click on the link and open the correct page? Is it fast? All of those tiny interactions that people don’t necessarily consider combined with visuals make for a beautiful website.” MG: How do you define beauty in life? : Moss: “‘Beauty’ is nothing external to me. I feel beautiful whether I have my hair laied, makeup slayed or if I just rolled out of bed and am not wearing any concealer. ‘Beauty’ is more of a state of mind, it is really more of confidence. If you are confident enough to be the person you are with no fear, that is real ‘beauty.’” MG: Where do you see technology and art intersecting? Moss: “I think they intersect at computer programming. I always have to start off by differentiating myself within the field and explain how I interpret programming differently. Because, when I tell you I am not like most computer scientists ... it is an understatement. But, I say that in the best way possible. I have loads of friends who are in tech and fit the standard computer science vibe, but I have a different outlook. Computer science can be creative, inventive and a form of art. I find this especially with software design, web design and app design. You don’t have to know a combination of complicated algorithms to make a website gorgeous. You don’t need only one specific scientific mindset to create something beautiful, and once I knew that I really fell in love with programming.”
“ Kaylin Moss is in the waiting room.” Her Zoom window pops open and colors the screen with Moss’s bright yellow t-shirt. “Yellow is my favorite color,” she tells me, and I can see why. When Moss smiles, you get the feeling of seeing a beautiful daffodil on a walk, or the sun peeking up into the sky. She emits an aura of complete confidence while casually adding beauty and brains to the mix. Moss is a computer programming, modeling and activist triple threat. She is also the first ever cover star of Measuremagazine. A Charleston, S.C. native, Moss leads an extraordinary existence at Marist College. As a junior, she has married her passion for beauty and technology in her computer programming major and throughout campus. Off the screen, she has created a portfolio as a working fashion model, a founder/president of Marist’s National Society of Black Engineers and a classically trained clarinetist with 8 years of experience. At the computer, on the runway and in the classroom, Moss embodies Measure magazine. She represents responsibility, beauty and intelligence, and inspires others to do the same. To the average eye, computer code can appear incomprehensible. The sea of miscellaneous numbers, letters, dashes and slashesmight seemeven too vast to decipher. But these codes make perfect sense to Moss. Further, they offer an opportunity for creating beauty and art. With a few swift strikes on her keyboard, she can create a world of her own, bringing her dreams to vibrant life. Join us as we talk to Moss about software designing, fashion, the essence of beauty and the drive it takes to do it all.
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