Wendy Housekeeper
2007
For many women, the question looms...Is it possible to raise a family, return to college and work? With unwavering support of my husband and children, along with inspirational instructors at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWIT), I did just that.
I decided to enroll at LWIT after my husband pointed out the Architectural Graphics program in the class schedule that landed in our mailbox. My prior college education was in Interior Design and I had worked for a commercial construction company. After taking time off to have children, I was ready to re-enter the work force as a full-time employee. I knew this would involve some re-training and schooling. I also knew that I wanted to return to the construction industry. Architectural Graphics seemed like an interesting avenue to study and LWIT, the perfect fit. I am passionate about construction and design and this program was well suited to my interests. Little did I know I'd now face...physics!
I found it difficult at times to interpret the correct physics formula for the problem. Although physics wasn't my cup of tea, the instructor made the class fun and I ultimately survived.
Among LWIT's supportive and encouraging instructors are Scott Acton and Bob Mandy. Scott was my Computer Aided Design (CAD) instructor who did a fabulous job explaining the intricacies of AutoCAD. Bob served as my advisor, my cheerleader and gave me a helpful lead on a job as I approached graduation. The lead landed me my current job.
I graduated at the end of Winter Quarter 2007, a proud member of the President's List. I'm also a member of two professional organizations, American Design & Drafting Association (ADDA) and Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). I received two scholarships while attending LWIT. One from the Lowe's Corporation for construction-related studies and one from the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIA).
Currently, I'm employed at Becker Architects in Kirkland. We design commercial architecture such as private schools and churches. I am a CAD drafter/designer and credit my CAD experience at LWIT that enabled me to transition into the commercial construction industry once again.
The answer to my question is...Yes! Return to college, raise a family and enjoy the rewards, worth their weight in gold!
Jennifer Abbarno
2007
I didn't want to go away to college following high school, but I also knew I wanted to study architecture. I just wanted to jump right into my major, and forego the general education classes. My high school teacher recommended Lake Washington Technical College (LWTC), knowing about the knowledgeable instructors in my area of interest.
I've always loved to draw. In 7th grade, I drew the floor plan of the entire school and enjoyed the project. I also took drafting classes in high school to keep my interest alive. Then, along came LWTC, with what I call "my college family."
Instructors Bob Mandy and Roberta Butler, the "parents" of the Engineering Graphics Department, piled on the assignments, and pushed me to work ten times harder. They inspired me to stick to my goals, even though my thoughts were often on my mother who was ill at the time. Mom proved an inspiration, too, as I learned to look at challenges as she did...with a light at the end of the tunnel. And, how could I forget English classes! English was not my strong point, however, I worked my way up to English 101.
LWIT offers many extracurricular opportunities. I joined two clubs, Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and the American Drafting Design Association (ADDA). I became Vice President of ADDA for one year, and President the next. I also served as Senator, representing the Engineering Graphics Department, in LWTC's student government; then for one year, as Vice President of the entire student government. You'd think I was campaigning for President of the United States with this record!
In my mind, the ultimate in opportunity surfaced when I entered an ADDA drafting contest. To my surprise, I took first place and earned a trip to Louisville, Kentucky for a week.
My thorough LWTC education landed me a job at Capital Architects in Everett, Washington where I use everything I learned at LWTC - a most rewarding situation for me! I have also been accepted to Washington State University and will apply to their College of Architecture to further my education.
From 7th grade designs, to jumping into my architecture interest at LWTC, to out-in-the-world experience.... a bright light definitely shines at the end of this tunnel.
Sage Gerow Miller
2006
I'll begin with the highlight of my Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWIT) education. I've recently returned from Nashville, TN, where I received the first place award in the beginner's category of the national drafting contest sponsored by the American Design Drafting Association (ADDA).
Each year, ADDA holds a drafting skills contest with categories for different skill levels within civil, architectural, and mechanical drafting. I thank instructor Gene Fosheim for being so active in promoting ADDA in LWIT's Engineering Graphics program. To be recognized by a professional society such as ADDA is quite an honor and will contribute to my professional development.
I have a degree in horticulture and have been the owner of a small landscape company for 24 years. It was time for me to change careers. With my knowledge of water and soils, I was interested in civil engineering graphics. When I researched the Engineering Graphics program at LWIT, I was impressed with the recognition of its excellence from Boeing and other companies. I was also impressed from the start with the professionalism and focus of both students and instructors, as well as the physical learning environment at LWIT.
I'm learning to call on my patience while studying "spatial visualization." That is, to create drawings from information given in two-dimensional form and to visualize what that drawing or part looks like in three dimension. It's a different way of thinking for me, and a skill I have to develop.
Thankfully, each and every instructor takes extra time to answer questions forming a positive relationship between instructor and student. Roberta Butler has clarified concepts for me and has created what I call the "A ha" moment in learning.
As a single, 58-year old woman I need to continue to be self-supporting after I complete my AAS degree and look for employment in the civil engineering field. I'm very interested in water systems and will choose work in areas that make a positive contribution to the environment. At this time in my life I especially wish to "give back" to my community, not only in my personal life, but also in my work.
Catherine Tschannen
2004
After nine years of working as a Registered Nurse in the Oncology and Nephrology Departments at Swedish Medical Center, I felt ready to venture into a new career. Architecture has always fascinated me so I decided to pursue that interest. Fortunately, Lake Washington Technical College (LWTC) offered evening classes which fit well into my busy schedule. I found LWTC to have the newest computers and the latest edition of AutoCAD...Computer-Aided Drafting. I had visited other schools before deciding on LWTC, but they just didn't measure up.
I have Instructor Bob Mandy to thank for sharing his wealth of knowledge and his experiences with his students. He had an innate sense of how to challenge me, personally, to do my best work. I later reflected on Instructor Mandy's "real world" experience as I compiled my resume and portfolio, prior to interviewing for my present job. With the quality training I received at LWIT, I felt totally prepared to embark on a second, new career...at Starbucks!
I graduated in 1998 and began working at Starbucks Coffee Company in the Store Design Department as a Job Captain. I was responsible for drawing the blueprints used to build the stores. All of our drawings are done with CAD, using a program called Microstation which is similar to LWITs AutoCAD. I was assigned to the Northern California market and produced 22 stores per year. Last year I received a promotion to Project Expediter of the Chicago-Midwest market. I'm responsible for the schematic design and the interior look and feel of the store where I select paint colors and artwork. I now manage my own small staff of Job Captains who produce drawings for me.
My professional goals are to meet my production schedule for the fiscal year and to continue working towards future promotional opportunities. Personally, I'd love to complete the renovation on the 1904 Folk Victorian house we bought six months ago, and I'll always continue trying to play Blues guitar convincingly.
And, I may just owe Instructor Bob Mandy a cup of coffee...Starbucks, that is!
