What initially inspired you to pursue a career in architecture, and who or what influenced you most along the way?

As a child I always loved drawing houses, neighborhoods and creating buildings with blocks, LEGO, and cans, though I didn’t know what an architect was. My mother was also very creative and handy, often doing renovations around our house. It wasn’t until high school that my drafting teacher put it all together and told me that I should look into studying architecture. That was where I learned what an architect was, and realized it was what I wanted to do. My mother was also a big influence in my desire to go to college, as she came from a family where women didn’t go to school, and urged me to pursue a career where she didn’t have that option. She was my biggest cheerleader throughout all of my schooling, internships, and testing until I became a registered architect.

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