Il Bosco First-Year Students

F i r s t - Y e a r S t u d e n t s

Sydney Heim, BArch

My name is Sydney, and I’m heading into my first year at the Notre Dame as an architecture student! I’ve known since middle school that I wanted to pursue a career in architecture. The thing that attracted me most to the Notre Dame program was the sense of community inherently present at the university. When I visited Walsh Family Hall, I couldn’t help but smile as I bore witness to the vibrant culture amongst the architecture students. It was something I knew I wanted to be a part of. And, of course, the Rome Studies Program was just the cherry on top. I’ve always wanted to travel the world and witness firsthand the beauty of a foreign country. Notre Dame gave me the opportunity to do something that I’d only dreamed of. I hope to gain an exemplary education (which I have no doubt I will, being where I am) as well as develop bonds and learn skills that will stay with me long after I leave the Notre Dame School of Architecture studi0. Julia Cutajar, BArch

I am Julia Cutajar from Oyster Bay, New York. I have known I wanted to be an architect for a while now. Whether it be playing with Lincoln Logs when I was younger or remaking furniture, I have always had the desire to create. Over the years, math and art were some of my favorite classes, and architecture will allow me to perfectly combine these passions. I chose Notre Dame because I was drawn to its powerful message of being a force for good in the world. Notre Dame has an unparalleled community and network that I know will help me make an impact in the future. As for the architecture program, I am looking forward to being a part of a tight-knit community to learn and collaborate with. The opportunity to travel to Rome is such a unique experience that will be priceless in terms of knowledge and lifelong memories.

Mary Frances Leihy, MArch

Architecture, for me, has always been a beautiful composition and a mysterious balance of the subjects that fascinate me the most. You can probably imagine my intrigue when I discovered Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture, and the significance of an architect being scholarly and practically knowledgeable about twelve subjects. My undergraduate liberal arts education began to reveal how these subjects can be used to benefit our neighbors through a beautiful, well-built environment. As a graduate student, I am looking forward to refining my practical skills, design technique, and overall understanding of Architecture with the great contemporaries here at Notre Dame. But if you catch me in the hallway, I’ll probably just say that I’m here for spritz o’clock at the Piazza Navona. Without further ado, cheers to my fellow seekers of knowledge and beauty!

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, Mary Frances Leihy

F i r s t - Y e a r S t u d e n t s

Margaret Jones, MArch

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in architecture, even if pursuing it as a career wasn’t always the obvious choice for me. I credit this innate fascination with the built environment to my upbringing in Jefferson City—the capital city of Missouri. This charming small town is full of beautiful and historical buildings that I encountered on a daily basis growing up. The most influential of these was the great capitol building, which was located right across the street from where I attended grade school. With its colossal Corinthian columns and its mighty dome, it’s no wonder that when I ultimately did choose to study architecture, I naturally favored a classical and traditional approach.

The architecture program that I attended for my undergraduate degree had a classical emphasis and used traditional design methods and theories to instruct its students. While there, I gained a lot of invaluable experiences that showed me that the built environment didn’t have to be solely functional; it could also be beautiful, much like the beloved city where I grew up.

Rome, Margaret Jones

With this idea in mind, I knew that, upon graduating, I wanted to further my education by earning a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture. I admired this program specifically because I felt that it shared my passion for creating beautiful and functional spaces that promote the common good on both the public and private levels. I am super thankful to be here and am greatly looking forward to the lessons that I will learn and the people that I will meet over my next few years studying architecture here at Notre Dame!

Vera Sofia Leon, BArch

Hi! My name is Vera Sofia Leon and I am from Dominican Republic! I have always been an artistic person, but I was interested in studying architecture after realizing that all I did while playing the Sims 4 was build houses and structures. I really love contemporary architecture and am in awe of projects by architects like Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. I actually attended an architecture summer program in Notre Dame last year. I always knew I wanted to make projects that were beneficial to society and I think that Notre Dame’s values are going to take me there. I love that ND takes a more traditional approach towards teaching its students regarding hand drawn projects. However, I am also really interested in taking that knowledge to computer programs like AutoCAD and SketchUp. I am very excited for these next 5 years! Connor Tinson, BArch

With my father being an architect, I have been exposed to this profession since birth. However, I actually became interested in architecture on a family trip to Rome five years ago. While we were standing in the Pantheon–a building that has lasted through multiple ruling regimes and, with that, many religions—I realized that buildings are the cornerstones of life in a community and can be re-purposed to be used for different functions than initially designed.

My dad is a Notre Dame alum, so ND is in my blood and has been my dream school for as long as I can remember. Two summers ago, I attended the Career Discovery in Architecture program at ND to see if I was actually interested in the field. While there, not only did I fall in love with architecture, but I also fell in love with ND. I felt at home and like ND was no longer just the place my dad went to and loved or the place I loved to watch football games at. I even used the Pantheon as inspiration for my final project of the program—to design a new architecture building on campus. I am looking forward to not only developing in the architecture and real estate fields, but also learning how to make a positive impact through my work. I also cannot wait to go back to Rome and learn in the place where my passion for this field first started.