WiA: Inspiring Future Architects of Dallas

The AIA Dallas Women in Architecture network is extremely proud of its volunteers who dedicated time and energy to help young girls in our community learn about our great profession. WiA volunteers held workshops for 34 girls Saturday at the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) event at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster. EYH is a national program encouraging middle school girls to study for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

One of the goals of Dallas WiA is to “inspire female students to better understand and consider architecture as a career path." Our participation in Expanding Your Horizons is one of the ways we try to fulfill that goal. The Saturday workshops began with a fabulous presentation on "The World of Architecture" by Angela Robinson of Corgan Associates. Then the girls got out glue and markers so they could build models of their "dream houses." We at WiA hope that it touched the lives of the girls as much as it did the adults. WiA Chairwoman Clarissa Easton said: "Saturday’s event was inspirational to volunteers as we watched the young students’ dreams and creativity surface in the questions and model-making." 

WiA wants to give a big thank you to our tireless organizers, Karen Farmer of Corgan Associates and Lennie Chamberlin of Design Options, whose leadership made the architecture component such a success! Thank you also to all the other women who volunteered, working behind the scenes preparing materials and/or at the event on Saturday: 

Stephanie Andrus-Jackson, Texas Woman's University

Lenora Hamilton, Owens Corning

Rebekah Broadfoot, Corgan Associates

Blair Arnold, Corgan Associates

Marisol Feavel, Corgan Associates

Koko Nomura, Corgan Associates

Paula Neal, Corgan Associates

Cassie Doss, Corgan Associates

Cherie Matthew, Corgan Associates

Lauren Taylor, Corgan Associates

Francie Abell, Corgan Associates

Rebeca Acosta-Hayen, Corgan Associates

Maggie Cocke, Corgan Associates

Carryll Wang, Corgan Associates

Stephanie Hall, Corgan Associates

Brittany Hodges, Corgan Associates

Hannah Wenzel, Corgan Associates

Thanks also to the local sponsors of EYH -- the Southwest Dallas County Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Alpha Zeta Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, and Cedar Valley College -- for organizing this worthy event!