Since early adolescence I knew I wanted to be involved with buildings, though I had no idea what that meant. I considered many options from home design, engineering (of some form), and even demolition (because who doesn't enjoy watching a good, controlled building implosion?). Somewhere about sophomore year after a few drafting classes I settled on architecture.
While college seemed a long way off I started the tedious process of narrowing down the myriad of choices. AOL and Yahoo! were leading the internet revolution and Google certainly wasn't around, so information was a little hard to come by (being young and silly it never occurred to me to talk to my High School guidance counselor). So I did the next best thing: I talked to my parents. They were certainly excited about the decision and were eager to help in any way.
The way I recall it, less than a week later my Mum picked up a copy of Christianity Today that a friend had given her. On the first page she opened up to was a full page add for the school then known as Judson College with a single question: "Want to Study Architecture?" It was a young program (I was the third class to graduate from the School of Architecture), but the idea of studying architecture in a faith based, liberal arts setting was appealing.
That summer, while visiting family in Chicago, my parents toured the campus and they felt that this institution of higher education would be a good fit. Two years later I visited during a Preview Weekend (which is a tale for another day). I considered many places to study but I only applied to one. Late in my senior year, with an average ACT score and a less than stellar application, I was accepted, along with 39 other young men and women, to study at Judson.
The school theme and verse for my freshman year was Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." I have seen that verse play out in my life many times. I believe my years at Judson set the course for many life choices and solidified many aspects of my would view. It was also during my time there that the Lord introduced me to TECH.
