One of the most gratifying parts of this profession is having alumni return for visits and share updates about their lives after high school. The WHSAD Makerspace has been fortunate to have alumni discuss their post-WHSAD experiences, sharing both insights regarding professional trajectory and the comparison between college and high school in a more personal regard. This week we welcomed Ariana Lowery, now a freshman at the University of Buffalo, and Antonio Perez, now a freshman at NYIT. Ariana and Antonio shared some of their fall semester architecture work and anecdotes regarding the rigor involved in achieving their end products.
Below you may watch the video of their presentation and read what some current WHSAD students gained from the presentation.
Today in the WHSAD Makerspace Studio, Ariana Lowery and Antonio Perez, who graduated from WHSAD in 2020, presented. Ariana is currently a freshman at the Unversity of Buffalo, studying architecture. Antonio is a freshman at the New York Institute of Technology, at first studying architecture but has switched to digital art and design. In the meeting, they both began describing their college experience during COVID and what projects they are working on or worked on in their first year. They also talked about the challenges they faced in the first semester.
In the presentation, Ariana explained that she started by using cards to focus on the circulation and creating four spaces that would connect or make shadows. Before creating the project, she would plan and sketch out an asymmetrical view, top view, constructional diagram, and scale figure model of her idea. Another project she worked on was working with one shape, which was a hexagon shape. Once she had an idea, she began sketching her structure and turned it into different ways a person could go up and downstairs of the structure. In this project, she had a few challenges due to how difficult it was to build and attach the structure.
For Antonio, his projects were focusing on cube studies and how he could divide cubes into shapes. He then had to work on illustrating, making some scale figure studies and elevations. In making this project, he had some challenges working on this project using a program called Rhino and building the structure without using tape. But Ariana’s college experience during COVID was going in-person to some classes, but she decided to stay home to take her classes. So far, she enjoyed meeting new people, experiencing a new environment in Buffalo, the opportunities she had, and how helpful the teachers are to her. For Antonio’s college experience, he stayed home too to take his classes virtually, which was weird for him, but he so far enjoys his college from so many opportunities he had and the two jobs he is currently working.
-Emely Patino, Senior
Today, two WHSAD alumni, Antonio Perez and Ariana Lowery, came to give Makerspace participants a taste of their college lives. They both looked forward to college life, but the experience was not expected. Antonio is a great example when it comes to struggling in the intended as he transferred from architecture to digital art. He had a really rough time completing an architecture model. Antonio had cuts and stayed up to for two weeks with no breaks. Ariana did enjoy making her architecture model but glue didn’t seem to work so by the day it was due, the model’s structure could not really stand. Ariana’s case is a great example of anything can happen. Both alumni gave an informative and specific talk to everyone. I really appreciate them taking their time to give a talk and give tips for seniors.
I had two questions, one for each WHSAD graduate. I asked Antonio about tips for incoming freshman. He replied that they should go to the financial aid office for jobs. I find that reasonable since it can help students economically. I got accepted to NYIT and will possibly go to the financial aid office just like what Antonio recommended. I asked Ariana about what made her go to Buffalo for her college. I actually wish I had her attitude and courage of trying something new by leaving NYC. I am really surprised by the fact how she wanted to leave NYC. Through this talk, I learned more about getting used to NYIT and having the mindset of leaving my own comfort zone for a brand new experience in a new place.
-Yu Feng Zhou, Senior
Hearing from alumni of WHSAD is always a joy, especially because of the fact that these alumni were seniors from last year’s graduating class. Antonio Perez and Ariana Lowery offer some of the realest insight into the life of a college student. Both entered college as architecture majors and allowed all us to see some of their projects and give actual answers towards our questions about life after WHSAD. Projects showing the early stages of designing and how universities go about starting the future careers of the incoming young students. The importance of knowledge makes all the difference in the college experience and how we, especially myself, view it before I enter. Certain knowledge pertaining to how rejection isn’t the end of the world even if the school is your top choice has given me lots to think about.
Hearing from Antonio and Ariana gives a sense of security as far as the college anxiety goes. These former students went down a path many of us are expected to follow, and now that we’ve seen them traverse such troubling times, we can continue with confidence. Covid has offered changes and difficulty everywhere, but watching the seniors that we once knew makes everything just a little bit easier, and everything makes a little more sense. Now I am left with the feeling of reliance and power because I know that I’m part of the class that is next in line and we are up to the task.
-Gilver Bueno, Senior