Reflecting on My Journey to the College of Fellows

Submitting my application to the AIA College of Fellows was one of the most profound moments of reflection in my leadership journey. When I first joined AIA more than a decade ago, I never imagined that one day I would be applying for Fellowship under Object 3: Lead the Institute. This required documenting not only the roles I had held, but also the impact, advocacy, and ripple effects that grew from them. 

As an immigrant architect, someone who built her career from the ground up in a new country, this process felt both deeply personal and incredibly validating.

Object 3 required me to examine my leadership within the Institute, how I shaped direction, built community, and strengthened AIA from within. Looking back, my journey began long before Fellowship was even a consideration. It started when I found my voice mentoring emerging professionals, when I stepped into my first Board role, and when I committed to serving with purpose rather than position. 

My service on the AIA Long Island Board, my presidency during a global pandemic, my service at the Young Architects Forum, and my years on the AIA Strategic Council, including serving as 2024 Moderator, were all moments where I learned to guide with clarity, empathy, and collaboration.

As I compiled my submission, I realized how much work lives quietly in the margins. Speaking engagements, publications, task forces, awards, and the countless hours spent building programs and nurturing communities often go undocumented. I reflected on panels and podcast episodes with brilliant colleagues, articles that told our stories, and presentations that amplified voices that are often unheard. I gathered years of advocacy work, committee leadership, mentorship initiatives, and collaborations across chapters and states.

Perhaps the most emotional part was revisiting the creation of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, which I co-founded to support architects like me,  who arrive in the U.S. with talent, experience, and leadership but lack a clear pathway to licensure or belonging. What began as a small network of support soon evolved into a national platform for storytelling, mentorship, and empowerment. Including this in my application reminded me just how powerful grassroots leadership can be. It reaffirmed that building space for others is leadership in its most enduring form.

The submission process became more than just a requirement; it became a mirror. It gave me space to recognize the “ripple effect” of service. I saw the students I had mentored who later became leaders, the colleagues inspired to lead, the immigrant professionals who found a home in our community, and the systems strengthened because we dared to build them together.

Being elevated to the College of Fellows opened new doors. Not for prestige, but for “deeper collaboration”. I found myself supporting others on their path to Fellowship, helping them articulate their stories, and encouraging more women, immigrants, and people of color to see themselves as worthy of this honor.

To every minority architect, every immigrant, every emerging leader: you belong in these spaces. Your story, your challenges, your perspective, and your service are not just valuable; they are essential to the future of our profession. 

Do not wait for permission to apply. Your work already matters. Your impact is already real. And AIA needs leaders like you to continue reshaping what architecture can become.

Step forward. Share your story. And know that you are not alone on the journey to Fellowship.

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