Not many people can say that they have had their career path chosen since the fourth grade. From a young age I paid attention to every detail, appreciating the impact of smaller pieces to a larger puzzle. I discovered early on that my mind worked differently than others—I have the mind of a designer and the ability to turn conceptual ideas into reality. I know hands-on experience is vital in becoming a professional, so I was thrilled when I was offered an internship with Dewberry's Lanham office in 2013.

I made one of the best decisions of my life by attending Penn State's landscape architecture program. Inside those walls, I learned more than just how to meet deadlines with little sleep and cheap coffee, but that the design process requires both a collaborative workspace and innovative ideas. Fostering community interaction through inspiration is one project aspect that must be carried through every scale of design.

Enter Dewberry – which has shown me this approach in a different sense. Since starting my internship in May, I have learned that while conceptual ideas are not always carried through to design development, creativity should never be allowed to stop flowing. At Penn State, I focus on learning about site planning and human design scale. At Dewberry, I focus on applying that knowledge in a practical sense.

For example, this summer I have been tasked with a five-block revitalization plan for a business corridor located in Middletown, Pennsylvania. A variation of hardscapes have been proposed to delineate gathering spaces along the corridor while color, form and textures will be used to promote community interaction in the town plaza. Here, I learn to make real-world applications out of the creative processes that flow naturally through a design lifecycle.

Landscape architecture is much more than manipulating the land through design—it is the ability to create, inspire and bring my childhood dreams to life.