College Bound Podcast Summary: Post-ND – The Architecture Program

Episode Overview In the April 13, 2023 episode of College Bound, hosted by Cece Guarnuccio, the podcast delves into the post-graduation journey of Notre Dame alumna Rebecca Patterson. Graduating in 2013 with a major in Architecture and a minor in Sustainability, Rebecca shares her experiences, the unique aspects of Notre Dame's Architecture program, and offers valuable advice to current and prospective students.

Introduction to Rebecca Patterson

Rebecca Patterson opens the conversation by detailing her background and academic journey at Notre Dame.

• Hometown and Campus Life: "I am from El Paso, Texas and while I was on campus I lived in Pangbourne. Had a great time living there all four years" (01:22).
• Academic Focus: "I majored in architecture, minored in sustainability and I loved living in Rome" (01:22).
• Current Role: "I am a licensed architect working for an architecture firm, currently a fully remote employee in Houston, Texas" (01:22).

Notre Dame’s Architecture Program: A Distinctive Edge

Rebecca highlights how Notre Dame’s Architecture program distinguishes its graduates in the professional world.

• Accreditation and Licensing: "Going to an accredited program for it being five years and getting that accreditation is so important for when you apply for jobs, but it's also important if you intend on pursuing a license" (02:34).

• Hand Drafting Skills: "Being taught how to hand draft is not something that's very frequently used in the profession. But we had a professor who described it as, once you sketch a building, you'll remember it forever" (03:00).

• Design Philosophy: "I can walk into a room and there's just a different way that I've noticed that I treat buildings and I treat design and I understand spaces purely based on how Notre Dame taught me how to think about design" (03:30).

Notable Quote:

"Everyone always recommends and recognizes that Notre Dame name and always knows, oh, tell me more about that." - Rebecca Patterson (04:00)

Integrating Sustainability: Pioneering a Minor

Rebecca discusses her role as the first architecture student to graduate with a minor in Sustainability at Notre Dame.

• Program Overview: "I was the first architecture student to graduate with a minor in sustainability... I got to take classes across programs. I had a marketing class, I had a business class. I had a history class" (05:09).

• Capstone Project: "I used my sustainability minor and that capstone project to explain why I designed the building and used that program" (05:30).

• Professional Impact: "It was a super cool exercise. And professionally it was a great precursor to being able to not really just put the blinders on and design one thing at a time" (05:45).

Notable Quote:

"It's an excellent opportunity and I really, really enjoyed it." - Rebecca Patterson (05:50)

Skill Development: Technical and Soft Skills

The conversation shifts to the diverse skill set Rebecca developed during her time at Notre Dame and how these skills are applied in her current role.

• Problem-Solving: "I have very clear directions from the client on what I can and cannot do. I have rules, and it's a puzzle that I have to solve" (06:51).

• Logical and Artistic Thinking: "I'm very logical, I'm artistic in some sense... I was using the skills that Notre Dame taught me" (07:10).

• Adaptability: "I just have to find an answer. Because you can't just always say no. You have to find an answer" (07:25).

Notable Quote:

"Being forced to sort of go through that repeatedly and say, here's the problem, here's the question. And then looking at how everybody else answered that same question was just a really good exercise in thinking outside the box." - Rebecca Patterson (07:30)

Internship Experiences: Bridging Education and Industry

Rebecca shares her internship journey and how Notre Dame facilitated her transition into the professional architecture world.

• Navigating Internships: "Architecture internships are definitely difficult... I was lucky enough to get an internship after my Rome year" (08:59).

• Business Acumen: "While I wasn't producing construction documents... my responsibilities were very tailored on the business end" (10:00).

• Networking and Connections: "It's always someone that knows someone being able to talk about Notre Dame" (09:15).

Notable Quote:

"I was able to pull pieces from that internship and what I was learning at Notre Dame to eventually figure it out." - Rebecca Patterson (10:20)

Advice for Prospective Architecture Students

Rebecca offers heartfelt advice to incoming students contemplating Notre Dame’s Architecture program.

• Embrace the Learning Curve: "Don't let that fear of not knowing a lot about your field stop you... you can learn it all" (11:29).

• Commitment is Key: "You just have to commit to doing the work" (11:35).

• Holistic Experience: "You can make it whatever you want it to be... think about what you love to do, think about what you love to do, and you will find people who also like to do those things" (12:00).

Notable Quote:

"When I got into the professional world, I was not stressed at all that I was in the wrong place." - Rebecca Patterson (13:00)

Guidance for Current Students Approaching Graduation

In her final discussion, Rebecca addresses the anxieties current students face as they near the end of their studies.

• Managing Stress: "It's coming. There's nothing you can do... It is definitely daunting. It's also scary" (14:40).

• Focus on Personal Strengths: "Think about what it is that you like to do, what your strengths are... listen to people getting job offers and being like, gosh, that's cool" (15:00).

• Utilize Alumni Networks: "Use the Notre Dame alumni if you have questions. I'm always open for people to ask questions" (16:00).

• Embrace Your Unique Path: "Don't get too overwhelmed by everybody else's path because everyone is going to get to a different spot" (16:30).

Notable Quote:

"Graduating is a big enough accomplishment. Don't brush that one off because completing your degree is still pretty cool." - Rebecca Patterson (17:00)

Conclusion Rebecca Patterson’s journey post-Notre Dame exemplifies the profound impact of a Notre Dame education on her professional and personal development. Her experiences underscore the importance of accreditation, the integration of sustainability in architecture, and the cultivation of both technical and soft skills. Her advice serves as a beacon for prospective and current students, emphasizing resilience, continuous learning, and the value of leveraging the Notre Dame network.

Listen to the Full Episode For an in-depth exploration of Rebecca Patterson’s experiences and insights, tune into the full episode of College Bound on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

This summary was crafted based on the transcript provided for the "Post-ND: The Architecture Program" episode of the College Bound podcast.