Gabriela is currently attending the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of architecture at the City College of New York; however, architecture was not her initial choice. 3 days after the start of school, she decided to change majors. “Before entering City College the idea of  architecture as a profession never came to me” Gabriela shared. Compared to the majors outside of architecture, this major has its own building that is opened 24/7, personal lockers for the student, and desk areas for students to occupy throughout the entire semester. It was essentially a micro community filled with resources to get the job done. At the same time, deep relationships are formed in architecture school because of the ample amount of time spent together; secrets are shared that perhaps are not even spoken of at home. Most importantly, it is a space where everyone encourages one another with their work and critiques. As in most cases, the first few days or weeks of school can come with anxieties and excitement all stirred together amongst the frenzy of navigating the unfamiliar halls of the school. Many people also endeavor to establish cliques by which they can get through this new experience together. Gabriela was not only interested in socializing with the people in her year, but introduced herself to the upperclassman for advice and to acquire the infamous “drafting table” that all first years had to acquire. Gabriela’s unsurety in her decision soon disappeared as she delved into the world of design; she began to see the broad of possibilities and the key roles a design places in our everyday society. For Gabriela, architecture is also about community relationship; this encouraged her to participate in school organizations such as AIAS. As her experience grew in architecture so did her contributions to her academic community. Today, Gabriela is Vice President of CCNY’s NOMAS and is the Social Media Director of a student-formed organization called Ad Hoc Cooperative. Ad Hoc engages students to work together to design for our present social and economic climate, using relatively unprecedented solutions to address this fluctuating society we live in today. In 2023 Gabriela will graduate with her Bachelors in Architecture.