Jaylin Young has an eye for design and a tenacious attitude that has already carried her through many successes. Over the past summer, the Center for Architecture and Design's (Center) Architecture and Design Education Program (ADE) added Young to the team of professionals as their first summer intern. In collaboration with Girls Inc.'s Eureka! Program, Jaylin Young began the internship and immediately fit into the fast-paced and collaborative work environment. Ms. Young's drive to work and attention to detail quickly became an asset to the team. 

Ms. Young demonstrated her abilities through a plethora of tasks. Her daily duties varied from managing the administrative needs to planning and co-teaching the summer workshops. After two short months, Ms. Young left quite an impact. Liza Niles, Project Manager of ADE, described Jaylin as "engaging and competent" in everything she did. "When she did research, she made powerful assessments and worked well with the students here for the summer workshops," Niles reported. It was not just her professionalism but also her bright demeanor that positively influenced those around her. "She was organized, insightful, and inquisitive and brought a lot of great energy, humor, and consciousness (in the workplace)," said Ms. Niles. 

Young feels that this experience will catapult her future career in design education. "I was constantly experiencing new things with workshops and preparation; the staff was very kind and answered any question I had. I felt motivated every day," recalls Young. " I couldn't have asked for a better internship experience. I thank the Center team for being kind, understanding, and helpful during my tenure". 

Although the Center was sad to see Jaylin leave, they are confident that her real-world experiences and determination will set her off on a journey of achievement. The Center values providing experiences to future generations of architects and designers. Niles comments, "Through this intern program, we are able to introduce young people with an interest in studying design to the Center's ADE program. This exposure allows these potential future designers to gain insight into how professional designers can impact K-12 students by exposing them to design education at an early age."

We look forward to hiring an intern next summer to provide them with the space to learn and grow in the world of architecture and design, education, and equity in the community.