Sophomore year of high school my art class did a project where we designed our dream homes and I fell in love with the design process. Of course it was a wildly unsuccessful house, but I was introduced to 3-D modeling, got to start thinking about how systems work together, and I got to dream big (curved double staircase big)! My best classes had always been in the math and sciences, so that paired with my newfound interest, my love of puzzles and problem solving, and my dream to make an impact on this world all pointed me towards Architecture.

I spent two years at Ohio State studying Architecture. I loved playing with the idea of what a building means, but I found that I often wanted to focus on function. I wanted to learn about all the things that make a building tick; everything that goes on behind the drywall, and Architecture just didn't provide that for me.

Luckily, I found the incredible and unique major that is Architectural Engineering at the University of Cincinnati! Day one of my new curriculum I knew that I was where I belonged. Each new topic brought on a sigh of relief that we were finally diving into the details (and I got to do math again!).

When I first mentioned that I wanted to do Architecture, my Mom had suggested that I think about sustainability and using buildings to help save the earth from climate change. I was vaguely interested and thought it would give me a good angle for scholarships and applications, so I took it on. Honestly, I assumed that everything in the industry was centered around sustainability anyway, because, with how advanced we are, why wouldn't we be? As I learned more about the negative impact that humans have had on the earth and how buildings account for 40% of energy use in the United States, my "angle" became more and more important to me, especially now that I realize that it's more of a niche than a standard. Now I truly care about sustainable design and want to center my work around it. Not only is it important, but making a system the best it can be is so interesting and satisfying. As engineers, aren't we supposed to be pushing the boundaries?

Architectural Engineering is a major that allows its students to wear a lot of hats. We don't just study one aspect of making a building, we study them all, which makes us well-rounded and capable of seeing the big picture. We study: Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Civil, and Structural engineering, Construction Management, and Architecture. I like to say that Architectural Engineering is the study of buildings, plain and simple. The curriculum provides its students with the knowledge to go into any of the aforementioned fields.

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