Show Us Your Life - Alma Mater

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

I am a graduate of the College of Architecture at UNC Charlotte 2001 and a proud 49er Miner! 

Prior to UNC Charlotte, I had gotten my two year associates degree in Interior Design and had prayed for God to direct my path from there.  I struggled with whether to follow my life dream of a career in architecture or to get my Bach. in Interior Design.  I heard of an opportunity for non-traditional students at UNCC and submitted my application, I was admitted, but not directly into the COA.  So I took a year of general classes and went through the admissions interview again for the COA and was admitted the following year doing their 4 year track program.

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Architecture school was amazing, difficult, and not what I had expected.  I truly enjoyed the studio setting and the push that the professors gave for us to expand our thinking outside the box of the way we normally processed a space or idea.  However, I found that my design process from ID school was very challenged and I felt like the COA didn't take practical, daily design into consideration as much I felt they should.  I felt like they were always trying to produce the next Frank Owen Gehry, instead of teaching the things "normal" architects would be dealing with such as a space furniture can actually fit into, handicap accessibility, and code issues that effect design.

My favorite time in studio was at night (there where a LOT of late nights) when the building was quiet (most of the time) and work was uninterrupted by classes and professors.  Although I appreciate my education from the COA, after I graduated I found that my desire was to have a career in ID (of course I have now put that career off due to 3 little Miracles, and I pray to one day return to it). 

While on campus I worked as a Resident Advisor for four of the five years I was there.  It was a bit unusual for me to live on campus as a non-traditional student, but I really enjoyed my experience.  My final year I was an RA in the newly built Laurel Hall, it was a challenging year because the first year in a new building means you experience working out all of the kinks, but of all my years on campus it was my favorite (of course that might be because I was getting ready to graduate and planning my wedding).  In fact my dorm room is still pictured on the campus website, HA.

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UNC Charlotte is an amazing school and in an amazing city "the Queen City".  I have only been back to the campus once and already it has changed so much, I hope to go  back again sometime soon and see the new buildings and plans for the future.  I know they are already working on a football team for UNC and when they are up and running (no pun intended) I will be one of their biggest cheerleaders.