Simone worked as an instructional designer developing online education courses for companies such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the National Park Service, before deciding to apply her passion for storytelling, visual arts, and learning environments as a graduate student in the Digital Animation and Interactive Media track at The Ohio State University. Simone is currently investigating the relationship between literacy, gamification, and digital interactions and the role of motivation in learning to read. She also works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Design.