Skyler Diacou was a member of the men's cycling team at SCAD Savannah, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in advertising and branding, as well as a Master's in service design. Upon graduation, Skyler landed a user experience designer position at JPMorganChase.
 
What is one of your proudest professional accomplishments?
 
Definitely landing my UX role at JPMorganChase during my final quarter at SCAD. I was putting everything into both my final master's courses and my last cycling season, and pulled off a win in an important race for our team right around the time I received the job offer.
 
How did it feel to win an important race and land a job at the same time?
Having both of these events happen back-to-back was incredibly rewarding and truly the ideal ending to this chapter of my life.
 
What is your favorite memory or moment as a member of the cycling team?
 
Hanging out at our favorite Savannah coffee shop, PERC, with teammates before weekend rides. Those small moments are what stick with me most. Not the races or results, but the casual everyday stuff that made us feel like a real team. Looking back, those connections were what made the early morning training sessions and tough workouts actually enjoyable.
 
What surprised you the most about the cycling team?
 
The team's diversity of riders. Joining a team with people from diverse countries and cultural backgrounds was eye-opening. Everyone brought different perspectives and approaches to both cycling and creative work. Training alongside teammates from Europe, South America, and across the US taught me as much as any course. Learning to work with people who see things differently has definitely helped me adapt to working in a large corporation.
 
What is one life or career lesson you've learned through your sports career at SCAD?
 
Learning to be adaptable and open to mentorship. When I started undergrad at SCAD, I was the youngest on the team and honestly had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that I cared deeply about improving both academically and athletically. Being surrounded by experienced artist-athletes who were balancing creative careers with competitive cycling taught me how to navigate both worlds effectively. Watching how they managed their time and energy, and being willing to learn from them, completely shaped my approach to balancing design work and training today.
 
Do you have any advice for new artist-athletes?
Don't pressure yourself to have everything figured out right away. It took me until my final year to truly discover what I was passionate about in the design world, and even to this day, I'm still figuring things out! Use this time to learn and absorb from as many opportunities as possible. Talk to your classmates, professors, and teammates; they all have something valuable to teach you. Say yes to things that push you outside your comfort zone. This is your window to take risks and explore, so make the most of it.
 
What is one piece of advice that you would give to current artist-athletes?
 
Spend time networking and taking advantage of genuine communication opportunities. Being able to discuss your passions in both life and design, and taking the time to discover the same things in others, is how you build genuine connections. The design world is smaller than you think, and you never know when the person you meet at a coffee shop or bike ride might become your next boss, co-worker, or collaborator. Those casual conversations often lead to the most meaningful opportunities, so don't underestimate them.
 
Quick Hits
Favorite place to eat in Savannah? Java Burrito
Favorite off-campus location? PERC Coffee
Favorite non-SCAD athletics/class experience? Discovering Savannah's local music scene
Favorite sport to watch? Hockey
Favorite thing to do in your downtime? Discovering new places
 
If you are interested in participating in our Alumni Spotlight Series, please email sid@scad.edu for consideration.