Haley Kalvin-Gold

I was inspired to pursue architecture because of my childhood. My grandfather was an artist and worked in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. He designed and built both his house and my aunt’s, which remain two of my favorite buildings. My two favorite subjects in school were always art and math. Architecture combines both of those – it’s the best of both worlds!

I applied for some collegiate architecture programs when I was in high school, but wasn’t accepted into them because I didn’t have prior experience or a portfolio. I gave up on my architecture dream to pursue other options. I quickly realized that those options didn’t feel right. So after attending two other colleges, I decided to start looking again for an architecture program that would accept transfer students. I found Penn College and it was the perfect fit – a hands-on learning experience that didn’t care about my experience level. College should be about learning what you don’t know, not proving what you know before you come in, and that’s exactly what I found here.

I’ve been involved with two internships in my time at Penn College – one local and one remote. I worked for a small local architecture firm here in Williamsport for about a year. I was grateful that Penn College gave me the technical skills to keep up with the workload I was given, specifically in terms of the Architectural Technology program. The AT program teaches students how to use the software that’s used every day in the ‘real world’ and from what I gather, it’s rare for undergraduate architecture programs to offer that. I learned so much through that internship, and it honed my skills to be more successful in the classroom.

My remote internship with Phius has also been incredibly valuable. I’ve been able to apply the knowledge I’ve gained at Penn College and the architecture program’s focus on sustainability and building performance gave me the background I needed to land the internship in the first place. The internship gave me a deeper understanding of how design decisions influence the overall performance of buildings. I’m putting all of that new-found knowledge to use in my senior capstone project.

I’ve always known that whatever I did, I wanted to make the world a better place. Initially, I thought architecture was all about making buildings look good aesthetically, but Penn College's focus on sustainability and building science opened up a whole new world for me. I had no idea there were so many opportunities on the ‘green building’ side of things.

Penn College offers opportunities for those looking for any level of architectural experience. Offering a two-year, four-year, and now five-year program means you can stay as little or as long as you want – with the job opportunities scaling at each level. The five-year program is especially exciting, because it will allow students to eventually sit for their ARE’s without needing to go on to an accredited graduate program. For anyone who does choose Penn College architecture, be sure to sharpen your time-management skills and always value a good night’s sleep!

As a future professional in the architecture industry, especially as a building performance specialist, I hope to help others understand the impact of the way we build and how design decisions influence project performance. Of course, aesthetics are important too, but those things are not mutually exclusive. The architecture industry as a whole has a huge responsibility in leading the charge against climate change and global warming. I’d like to break the stereotypes about sustainable building practices, teach others why it’s so crucial to be aware of our impact, and be a resource for those who want to know more about how to build responsibly.