My father had his own construction company and used to take my siblings and me out on job sites to learn the tricks of the trade at a young age. I’m sure he was training us to take over his business, but I gravitated toward the architecture part.

One of my earliest and most impactful memories is of a project he worked on at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, a local conservation effort that protected native seabirds. This project helped me realize how a space could continue to do good for years to come. That experience planted a seed—it showed me the potential of architecture to have a lasting, positive impact on the community.

I’ve always been drawn to the way different components come together to form a whole. I was the child who would take a lawn mower apart and put it back together. How everything works and fits together is very intriguing to me. The harmony in connecting parts, the problem-solving—these were more than hobbies; they were my introduction to the intricacies of design.

I went to the University of Florida then transferred to Florida A&M University (FAMU), which has a wonderful architecture program. 

Culinary detour

The summer before my final semester, I went back home and worked in my parents’ restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida. My mom is an amazing cook, and I fell in love with the culinary world. I thought, oh, this is where I need to be.

So, I finished my degree and went back to being a chef. I worked at the Tradewinds Resort restaurant on St. Pete Beach, and it was a great, fun experience, but I wasn’t challenged. I had limited control over the recipes and what I cooked, so it became repetitive and tiring – I couldn’t use my creativity. If I’m ever a chef again, it will be in my own shop.

After my culinary detour, I returned to architecture and worked for a small firm focused on residential design. I then moved to a larger group in Florida that was active in the senior living sector: continuing care retirement community (CCRC), assisted living, independent living, and skilled nursing care, where I learned the importance of creating spaces that support and enhance the well-being of residents.

Lasting impact

My next move was to Page’s Raleigh office, where I worked on the new North Carolina Surgical Hospital at UNC Chapel Hill’s medical campus. It’s still surreal to be a part of creating a healthcare facility that will impact so many lives. 

I remember taking a photo on one of the pedestrian bridges where I had a conversation with a nurse walking by. She was so excited to be moving to the new hospital – how modern and welcoming it felt, and all the natural light they would be receiving. It was inspiring to see the excitement from someone who would be working there.

I have a friend who’s had numerous surgeries at UNC, and it can be challenging to find your way around a hospital, especially when health concerns or pre-surgery nerves are top of mind. I’m incredibly proud of the job our team did creating and delivering clear, intuitive wayfinding for the new surgical hospital. The patients and families may never know we assisted them, but I’m gratified to know we helped people during a vulnerable time.

Life is about people and the memories you make along the way. That’s why I like healthcare planning and design, it’s more human and resonates with me on a personal level.

I always considered myself an “old soul,” and spent a lot of time around my granddad. I'm also close to my grandmother, who's an amazing cook as well. I love to sit at the foot of the elderly and have conversations with them. In turn, they enjoy talking and sharing information, and the wisdom they offer cannot be overstated. So, knowing that there are memory care facilities and healthcare facilities out there I helped design is my way of giving back. Not all relationships last a lifetime, but the impact they leave does.

Common elements

I love discovering new dishes while dining out with friends and then trying to replicate the dish on my own. My favorite cuisine to cook is Asian. The flavor profiles are unique and the complexity of making a dish is more challenging. My favorite dish, which is always well received, is fried rice. It’s what I consider a base recipe – once you have the fundamentals down, the variations you can come up with are endless.

In my culinary career and my architecture career – although both fields are so vast and diverse – there are commonalities: There is always something new to learn and creative variations to offer, and each brings people together.

I stepped out of a restaurant kitchen once and a guest asked if I had been a part of making their meal. When I said I was, they replied that it was one of the greatest meals they’d ever had.

I aspire to enrich lives, making a tangible, positive difference for the people who use the spaces I design or perhaps one day again, the food I prepare. I’m so appreciative when a client, patient, or guest is super excited about something I created and tells me they received something special from it. That is my reward.