Colten Danks Email & Phone Number

Change is everywhere, whether we like it or not. The leaves turn color in the fall, the flowers blossom in the spring, and the hair slowly falls out of my head, unfortunately faster than I anticipated. While change is all around us, there is one thing for me that hasn’t changed: my passion and commitment to architecture as a profession.My greatest strength is my perseverance through times of struggle, an uncomfortable feeling that creeps in and forces many people to give up. I vividly remember almost leaving architecture school, when applying to top architecture programs were met with rejection letters and professors questioned my integrity and commitment to the process. But I have learned to embrace the times of struggle, specifically being uncomfortable, because it was the change I needed to grow.At the core of my work, architecture is as much about communication as it is about design. The conversations amongst the people are what spark inspiration for me, sharing stories and experiences that influence what we design. I never realized how important collaboration was until architecture school and while talking in public and writing were often seen as a hindrance for me, I now cherish them as strengths. They have allowed me to excel in finding connections in stories and experiences to design ideas, pushing my growth in communicating them graphically and in person.Once you can accept a state of vulnerability, where you don’t have all the answers and everything is uncomfortable, that’s when the real growth starts. I recently graduated with my Masters Degree in Architecture, a reality that I didn’t see possible years ago. I relied on my roots to question and wander, to become a student enamored with uncertainty and hope influenced by the time spent wandering the forests as a child. I was searching for answers, but the answers were right in front of me; The difference between change and growth is an individual's attention and focus to participate. Change is inevitable, growth is optional.