How long have you been working as an architect? 

I began my professional career as an intern in the summer of 2017 in Las Vegas. After graduating I started working at Attanasio Landscape Architecture in Las Vegas (2019).

What geographic regions do you work in?  

Our office works mostly in the Las Vegas area.

In one or two sentences, what is the focus of your practice? 

Whether it be a Football Stadium, Medical Campus or a high end Residential Estate, Attanasio Landscape Architecture delivers responsive and engaging landscape design that enrich the user's experience.

How did your education at NDSU prepare you to be an architect? 

NDSU allowed me to stand out against graduate from other schools. For one, the variety and number of projects we completed at NDSU gave me keen insights and ideas for nearly any style project. NDSU, above all, taught me how to think critically and differently about each project I face. On week 2 of work I was presenting large projects to important clients on my own. Without NDSU, I would have never had the confidence and skill to do so successfully. 

What were some of the most valuable lessons you learned here? 

(1) "Take a step back", at NDSU I learned how to look at projects from a community level all the way down to the user level. (2) "Learn skills everyone else is afraid to" if you want to be the one holding the pencil at the table, you need to be able to sketch and design on the fly.   

What advice do you have for current architecture students? 

Find out what role you want to play in the office (a designer, a graphics specialist, the plant specialist etc.) Understand the skills necessary for that role, then allow yourself to become obsessed with those skills