

Arathi Gowda
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Chicago, IL USA
"It's hard in the beginning. But it's important to honor that process as a young person, because there are going to be very few times in your life when you can just up and move to a new city."
Career Roadmap
Arathi's work combines: Design, Environment & Nature, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Take Roadmap QuizSkills & Education
 Education
Here's the path I took:
- High School 
- Bachelor's Degree - Architecture - Carnegie Mellon University 
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
- 1. - After graduating from high school, she took a road trip to Zion National Park. 
- 2. - The beauty and wonder of that area inspired her to put an environmentally friendly focus on her work. 
- 3. - She chose to go to Carnegie Mellon University to study under one of the premiere environmental architects, Vivian Loftness. 
- 4. - She didn't grow up in a particularly creative family, so the jump into design was a big one; she felt like she had to find an eye for beauty. 
- 5. - Graduated when the economy was at a low point, and struggled with finding relevant work, had to take a few odd jobs. 
- 6. - When she first got into the field of environmental design, people were skeptical; now, we've realized that sustainability is crucial to design. 
- 7. - Says school is not going to train you how to communicate in the professional world, so you have to stay open and attentive around your peers. 
- 8. - Encourages young people to travel and take new jobs before they get too tied down with commitments.