I first decided I wanted to be an architect in third grade, drafting floor plans in MS Paint. At various other points along the way I also wanted to be a blacksmith, a marine biologist, a geneticist, and a naval architect before I wound up back where I started. While still in elementary school, I became the youngest person to complete an apprenticeship at Cal Earth Institute for Architecture under architect and Aga Khan Award winner Nader Khalili, who was a great mentor and early inspiration. During high school, I completed a summer education program at NewSchool for Architecture + Design in San Diego, and worked my first architecture internship at Steve Lombardi Architect. I eventually wound up in Chicago, earning a B. Arch at Illinois Institute of Technology, and graduated in May 2016.

I’ve always been fascinated by a wide range of subjects from biology, ecology, and engineering to psychology, economics, and issues related to sustainable design and community development. For me, architecture and planning offers a way to stay curious, and keep learning about a variety of topics while having it all of it be relevant to my profession. I’ve also been a life-long tinkerer, equally comfortable fabricating prototypes in a workshop and designing in a studio.