Brief background/experiences
I gave a real boring answer before so here's an update.

I'm 20. I am so young. I almost feel I'm too young to even have a substantial "background." I grew up in Jersey. Suburbia. Same old story. Probably where I developed my angst towards poor urban design. I have been fascinated with cities my whole life. And space. I am still nostalgic about a playground that was designed as a castle that was my first distinct experience with the power of "space." I love how abstract space is. What is means, how it affects us, how desensitized we are to it. Therefore, to be given tools to design is a dream come true.

I'm in my second semester of design studio at Maryland. I love it. Well, I love design. I don't know how attached I am to Maryland. They are giving me a good education. I am very challenged.

I am traveling through the school of architecture this summer to paris. We'll be living there for six weeks. I am very excited. It will be cultural analysis through space by documenting it with drawing.

I talk a lot. I am long winded. Prepare. I probably should go in to some field that validates me more. Eh, architecture is doing great for me now.

Why you chose your school/program
Again, boring answer. I treated this like a resumé.

The honest answer to why I came to UMD was to have a good time. At 18, having fun was my top priority. In the last two years I grew up a bit and was lucky enough to be admitted into a great architecture school. It has everything I need and want. I am challenged. I have great friends. Great connections. I'm near a wonderful city. I try to get the most out of the two years of studio. Then I will be ready for something else.

Architecture interests
I love design. I love how it challenges both my strengths and weaknesses. My character is not immune to the design process either. I appreciate the correlation between my emotional awareness and the success of my design. I believe the emotional and social intelligence are required to design well. I love the rigor that design provides in developing both skills. Design ties in with my identity. In essence, I learn who I am through design.

I do not have a preference yet to how designs manifest themselves. I see value in all forms from high end residential to historic preservation. I imagine myself in more of a non-traditional field in the future that focuses on more of the academics of architecture. I am in constant pursuit to focus in on what I am looking for in a career.

Other interests
Books, movies, music-- any creative art form is very enjoyable. I love Christian spirituality. I travel as much as I can (I recently went to Ecuador). Spending time with people. Anything competitive: sports, board games, architecture. Learning as much as I can to enhance my life.