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Future Designers for Syracuse formed out of an interest in giving advice to high school students in the Syracuse City School District. Karen Chow, the founder of FDS, saw a need for a student club that would guide young students in Syracuse who are interested in design or architecture fields.

Chow studies architecture, which is a five-year program at Syracuse University, and created FDS after recognizing a lack of free architecture and design programs for high schoolers. By creating the club, she sought to open up a route into both industries for younger students who couldn’t afford to pay for expensive architecture and design programs.

When Chow was in high school in Chicago, she participated in a program like FDS, and she wanted to recreate that experience for high schoolers in Syracuse, the FDS founder said.

“I would not have been able to do architecture if I did not have access to a free program in high school,” Chow said.

Chow founded FDS in August 2020, and high schoolers met with club members through virtual meetings. But this semester, the club will meet in person, with the potential to switch online if COVID-19 becomes an issue within the club, said Eve Miserlian, the treasurer of FDS.

The student club meets with high school students six to eight times a semester during after-school hours. The mentors plan a variety of activities to help students learn about the architecture and design fields, as well as how to apply for college programs. The program is particularly geared toward helping students of color enter the architecture field.

“When George Floyd got murdered, that was definitely the catalyst for starting the organization — when a lot of conversations around … diversity, equity (and) inclusion (within the) architecture community started,” Chow said.

Creating a space to learn about architecture and design with Syracuse high schoolers is a way to create a channel for SU students to connect with communities in the Syracuse area and go beyond campus, Chow said.

The club uses different activities, such as creating portfolios and collages, to provide students with the incentive and information to apply to architecture school. Miserlian, also a fifth-year architecture student, said sharing experiences about the admissions process is an integral part of the club experience.

Because they have been through the admissions process before, the SU students in FDS are able to share the more emotional things they wished they had known about college when they were in high school.

“Something that I have learned in college is that you always make time to do the things that make you happy, and hopefully what you are studying makes you happy,” Miserlian said.

Applying for college programs in architecture and design in high school can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have access to any information on architecture schools. The portfolio for applying for architecture and design schools such as SU, typically consists of a statement in the field of interest, in addition to 12 to 24 high-quality pieces of artwork.

But if high schoolers have access to more information about the admissions process itself early on, then they can better equip themselves for the application, Miserlian said.

“I helped with a portfolio-building activity where we put together a presentation, similar to what you would do for a college application, and we got a sense of their personalities in the design workshop,” Miserlian said.

The students were engaged and enjoyed doing the activity with the club members, Miserlian said. Even though the events were virtual the first year of the club, there was a collaboration and community forming that made for a fulfilling experience, she said.

FDS has also brought in representatives from the School of Architecture admissions office to give a presentation to the students. The members of the club’s executive board also gave insight on their experiences applying to architecture schools. In doing so, FDS can disprove a lot of misconceptions about the architecture application process.

“I feel like it is a great way to show what it is and what it can be,” Chow said. “A lot of people think that we just do math and draw blueprints, and I say, ‘No, it’s so many other things.’”

This past week FDS members safely compiled activity packages for high school students in our program! Looking forward to seeing everyone’s creations :star-struck:

A photo posted by fdsyracuse

Self-critique is an important component of design and architecture fields, and it’s one that Sarah Perrino, a fifth-year architecture student and activities chair for FDS, said she saw students learning through the club.

“Seeing their growth and reflection and being able to critique themselves in a good way — I think that is rewarding,” Perrino said. “I think that speaks to what you are as an artist.”

Despite having been virtual during the first year of FDS, it was still rewarding for the executive board to be able to create a connection with students through their common interests. Seeing the students grow and open up about their interests over the course of the semester was an impactful experience for both the high school and college students in the club, Miserlian said.

“I liked how they became more and more comfortable talking with us and what their interests are,” she said. “It’s an after-school program, so they are not obligated to come, but you could tell that (for) the ones who came, it was important to them.”

Published on September 6, 2021 at 1:57 am