With the economy we have today, it’s hard to say what I see myself doing in five years. At that point my goal is to have a master’s degree, be licensed and certified as a designer, and be working for a great company. But these are dreams of a soon to be graduate and they may be high hopes. But even if the economy is still in poor form, it all boils down to hard work and perseverance. Eventually, I would like to focus on two aspects: restorations and theater set design. The former is something that I’ve always had an interest in. I love seeing old, neglected houses have new life breathed into them. When I’m driving through certain parts of town and see houses that could be beautiful but aren’t, whether it’s from lack of money or care, it makes me sad. And, in a time when we are getting really involved with sustainability, I firmly believe that if a structure is salvageable and is cost effective to refurbish, then by all means it should be. Theater set design stems from a passion that I’ve had since I saw my first performance of Phantom of the Opera when I was nine. I had the opportunity to work with a local theater company for two years, building and painting sets, as well as designing lighting and sound for their shows. For two years I worked for free and not under the best conditions. Regardless of the stress involved and lack of sleep (that sounds a lot like school), I loved doing it and was very sad when I had to give it up.
Regardless of whether I am able to do these things, or what I want to focus on changes, I know that the spaces I design will lead to happier experiences for the people that use them. They will allow users to forget any troubles they may have in other aspects of their lives. Ultimately, that is my goal.
