how I see myself

"Ever since I was a little girl, I understood my place in the world – both present and future. For many years now I have envisioned myself as a licensed and practicing architect, and I have been progressively working toward that goal. I know that I am gifted and passionate about helping people bring what was just a dream to paper and finally to reality. Intermingled with schooling, I have deliberately found myself working and serving in cultures and locations not my own. Two years ago I began an architectural internship in India with a non-profit international Christian development design organization. Upon returning from India and other places like Guatemala, Mexico, Poland, Senegal, and inter-city neighborhoods in the United States, I understand my role differently.

Well designed architecture can have a profound affect on its physical and social worlds. But can functional, beautiful structures truly change things? Much of the developing world can indeed benefit from architecture, but there are other needs - sometimes more significant hurdles in development. It is easy to see an economy crippled by the health of its labor force that are needlessly sick due to poor or nonexistent clean and waste water management, or to sit in traffic for hours because there is only one road charged with carrying thousands of people, foods, and goods to the capital city.

After successful completion of the Master’s Program of Infrastructure Planning, I plan to enroll in an accredited master’s of architecture program to additionally fulfill the requirements for licensure in the United States. With both of these educational backgrounds, I will then have the tools necessary to facilitate positive change in developing countries by means of improving how they live, work, communicate, and travel, thereby improving quality of life around the world. My purpose in life is to bless people, and to help them do what they do better."

-Letter of Motivation to the graduate program in Germany I was recently accepted to!