In November 2007, the Sarofim School of Fine Arts’ Gallery presented work of Southwestern alumni who had been through the architecture and design program and who had all graduated around 1995-99. That is, they had been out of Southwestern only about ten years, and architecture school only about five or six years. 

These students majored in a variety of liberal arts disciplines (Pre-Med, French, philosophy, art) and by their early thirties were finding themselves as either independent registered architects (Amy Robbins Dempsey, design-build architect, Austin), or lead projects designers of large firms (Julien Meyrat, RTKL Architects, Dallas), of nationally well-know “regional” architects (Scott Adam, Overland Partners, San Antonio) or unlicensed designed leaders in large firms, returning to architecture school (Michal Golinski, RD Davis Architects).

All were very excited to be working as architects, despite the considerable difficulties and stress of the profession (the term “architorture” was apparently coined by Prof. Howe during this cohort of students)…all expressed gratitude of getting to work in a profession where no two days are ever the same.

All said that the most challenging aspect of their profession was dealing with the passions of people, and the thing which best prepared them for the daily rigors of interaction, and which allowed them to advance relatively rapidly to leadership positions was their broad liberal arts education.