Celebrating Sara: Our Newest Licensed Architect

We are excited to celebrate Sara, who recently completed her final Architect Registration Examination and officially became a licensed architect!

For Sara, the path to architecture was not exactly a lifelong plan. And the path to licensure was not without a few nerves along the way. But both are a testament to the value of trying something new, learning from the people around you, and continuing to move forward even when the first step does not go as planned.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Finding Architecture

Sara actually began college as a biology major. For about a week.

“I was a biology major for the first week of class and decided I did not want to do anything with biology,” she said.

Looking for another direction, architecture caught her attention. Her school offered the major, and it seemed to bring together two things she already enjoyed: art and computers.

That decision ultimately set her on a completely different career path.

As she gained experience, Sara discovered an interest in residential design, but working on commercial projects broadened her understanding of the profession. That range of real-world experience would eventually become especially valuable when she began pursuing licensure.

Getting Back Up

Sara began taking her licensure exams while living in Texas, and her first attempt did not go the way she hoped.

“I failed my first test,” she said. “I did not try to take another test again for a year because I did not want to fail again.”

Eventually, she decided to give it another shot. And once she did, things changed.

She passed the next exam. Then the next one.

In fact, she passed every remaining exam after that first attempt.

Creating a rough schedule helped Sara keep herself moving forward while still building in small breaks between exams. She also found Desk Crits: The Insider’s Guide to the A.R.E. to be a particularly useful study resource.

But some of her best preparation did not come from a book.

“Working on commercial projects helped a lot,” Sara said. Studying alongside others going through the process was valuable, too. Taking exams around the same time as coworkers and peers meant they could share advice while the experience was still fresh.

Officially Licensed

After working her way through the exams, Sara finally received the result she had been waiting for.

“I wanted to cry,” she said, although she admits she did not actually cry.

Her first call was to her husband, Anthony, who had supported her throughout the entire process.

“He has been by my side being supportive through all of the exams.”

It was the culmination of a process that began with a setback and a year-long pause, but ended with Sara proving to herself that one failed exam did not have to define the rest of the journey.

What Comes Next

With licensure behind her, Sara is looking forward to taking the next step in her career and assuming more responsibility on projects.

She is especially excited about “taking on more of a leadership role,” something she describes as both exciting and scary.

That combination feels fitting. Architecture itself began for Sara with a willingness to venture into something unfamiliar, and licensure required her to do much the same.

Her advice for others beginning the process is to make the most of the experience and knowledge already around them.

“Learn as much as you can from the people around you,” she said. “You can read all the study material you want, but hands-on experience will stick with you much longer.”

Congratulations, Sara! We are proud to celebrate this milestone with her and excited to see how she continues to grow as an architect and leader at Synthesis.