AIA Ohio Scholarship Award Recipient

Erica Adams

I am extremely honored and humbled in obtaining this year’s AIA Ohio scholarship award at Kent State University, as it means a lot to me. This scholarship will impact my future greatly as it alleviates stress and provides stability through graduate school and obtaining my Masters of Architecture. Studying this field of design over the past four years has exceeded my expectations and has provided me for a promising future of growth. My experiences as a pursuing architect have taught me the value of designing buildings for a purpose. I know the meaning of hard work and I have learned how to overcome challenges in my own personal and academic life. Exploring different subjects of design has led me to further my knowledge and design abilities throughout college. I hope to apply these lessons to my own projects that promise to not only function for their purpose, but make a difference in the lives of the communities in which they serve. Making buildings that require accommodations are of interest to me as I have witnessed first-hand individuals who struggle to navigate their environments. A simple change in structure can make a positive impact bringing safety and confidence to routine. With earning this scholarship award, I aspire to approach each and everyone one of my projects with an eye for accessibility. As my career moves forward, I hope that by meeting new people and sharing ideas, I can determine new solutions to positively impact the people I design and build for. Who knew that all of the time, learning, and experiences of my college career would lead me to great opportunities for my future, like obtaining this outstanding AIA Ohio Scholarship award. This scholarship brings hope to my pursuing work as an inspiring architect, and as I once always learned, “whatever good things we build, end up building us” – Jim Rohn.