Architecture: Its Impact on My Community and Myself by Haley

Architecture: Its Impact on My Community and Myself by Haley - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

There are no architects in my family. No engineers either. My family has never participated in the liberal arts field or tapped into their more creative sides. However, I have always differed from my family in those aspects.

Since I was young, I have always been extremely artistic. When asked about a future career, I would always say I wasn't sure yet. I would rather show uncertainty than failure for not meeting the expectations of the future doctors, surgeons, and firefighters in my classrooms. As I got older, I found greater confidence in my body and my aspirations. I found that my previous worries about my dreams were far from justifiable when compared to the challenges I had faced in high school. And, through those challenges, I found a greater appreciation for the built world around me through my community service. My volunteering experiences led me to understand that a house wasn’t just a roof over your head, but a personalized building that is an outward reflection of one’s self. Every day in Austin, Texas, I see homeless people whose lives would be forever changed if someone gave a genuine interest in their living situations.

I am interested in majoring in architecture because I feel that I can make a significant difference in people’s lives by making an investment in their livelihoods. Just as Zaha Hadid faced adversity being an Iraqi woman in the architecture industry, I hope to give disadvantaged people the safety and support to face adversity in their own lives. I hope to give people the ability to feel confident in their own skin and comfortable with their own goals. I hope to, with my skills, make an impact on this world and the people in it.