As a recently elevated Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, I spent a great deal of time over the last year reflecting on my journey within AIA.
When I stepped foot into the School of Architecture at Oklahoma State University as a freshman, I had no way of knowing what would come next. That year, I got involved with the AIAS chapter and a student-run program called ASTEK (Architecture Students Teaching Elementary Kids). Those experiences ignited a passion for giving back and investing in the future of our profession.
EPiC Events
By 2013, I was back in New Jersey and looking to begin my journey to licensure. I participated in an AIANJ ARE Buddy program started by the Newark & Suburban Chapter, and about a year later, I responded to a state-wide call for volunteers to reinvigorate the Emerging Professionals Committee, now known as EPiC. Over the next two years, I worked with folks from across the state to build a community for the next generation of AIA members and create resources to support their professional development.
ACE Mentor Program
I continued my engagement with students through ACE Mentoring, the NJSBA STEAM Tank Challenge, and LEGO league. I fostered bi-directional mentorship with emerging professionals across the country through the AIA Young Architects Forum and the AIA National Associates Committee. The focus of these efforts always tied back to ways we can make the architectural profession more accessible and ways to build camaraderie amongst emerging professionals.
Since 2016, I have been an active volunteer leader with AIA West Jersey, AIA New Jersey, AIA National, and NCARB. I have also been a NAAB site visiting team member since 2024. Through these experiences and many others, I have helped shape the future of the profession, the future of licensure, and the future of education.
UPPR
I am grateful to these organizations for being a safe place to learn leadership competencies and am fortunate to continue to expand my knowledge of different aspects of the AEC industry. The most rewarding part of these experiences has been the people I have met and the conversations we have had.
My path to Fellowship was not linear: it had successes and opportunities accompanied by setbacks and frustrations. I failed more than one division of the ARE; I applied to professional and volunteer positions I did not receive; I submitted for awards I did not get; and I ran as a candidate for roles I was not ultimately elected for. The defining parts of my story are in those exact moments when the outcome was not what I expected – those opportunities have shaped by journey into what it is today.
AIA NJ 2018 Executive Committee
My advice to others: don’t give up. Retake the exam. Apply for another position. Take a chance on an application. Ask the question. Introduce yourself to someone you admire. You’ll never know what is out there waiting for you until you take that next step and you have no idea whose journey you will impact in the process.