“Why did you come to the USA?” I always have the same simple response to this question. I came to this country because I had a dream to be an architect. The ability to make a direct impact on my community through my profession was something I aspired to do, and architecture was the way I wanted to do it. After all, what is it that makes notable cities so unique and memorable? It is the architecture. It is the landmarks like the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower that stick out in our brain. It is the Burj Khalifa that people travel thousands of miles to see.
I grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and I did not have the privilege of experiencing architecture apart from historic buildings. My country failed to update the hotels, markets, transportation, and housing due to a lack of financial means and design knowledge, even though the country desperately needed it with an increasing population. Yet, I saw its potential and became intensely interested in this field during my teenage years.
In high school, I developed a passion for architecture by taking a technical drawing class. The topic was not only of great interest to me, but I also demonstrated talent for it early on. It did not take long for me to become top of the class, and such enthusiasm led me to take classes at Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. While here, I realized that I possessed quite a few of the qualities that gifted architects require. This included precision, creativity, and motivation. I now knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I was admitted to the University of Arkansas where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Architecture in May 2019. During this time, I visited New York, Rome, Austin, and Chicago. As architectural capitals of the world, their cultural identities shone through their architecture, and I was intrigued and fascinated. While my home country of Ethiopia is rich in history and diverse in culture, it would be difficult to identify their cultural identity through architecture. This opportunity to travel left an impression on me and began prompting questions. In short, I was inspired.
With the experience of my school studio design projects and knowledge from the Fay Jones School of Architecture, I sought to examine my hometown and considered these questions:
· What makes cities like Paris so different from others?
· How can we create our identity in design?
· How can we identify ourselves in a building that shapes our lives?
These questions have motivated me to apply to the Fay Jones School of Architecture for my master’s degree. It feels as though I have been working toward them my entire life, and I am eager to dig deeper and learn more. Along with my academic intake, I hope to help solve Ethiopia’s economic, environmental, and cultural problems. While we have now acquired the financial ability to build architecture with western characteristics, there is so much more to be uncovered about this topic in terms of culture.
My existing experience at the Fay Jones School of Architecture has prepared me well to start and understand the current issues. I am ready to take get started and believe this opportunity will allow me to reach my goals.
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