Where are you from originally?
Born and raised in the beautiful desert of Tucson, Arizona; where there is no better sunset.

How did you find yourself in the industry, and working at KMA?
Since I was young, I have always been into physics and building things. I first began my college career in engineering but it lacked creativity. My two older brothers are carpenters and helping them with side projects sparked my inquisitive mind to want to know why things are designed and built the way they are. One late influential night during my early twenties, I had an epiphany. From that night forward, I would begin my journey to become an architect. I feel like I got lucky looking in the right place at the right time when I was in search for work in San Diego.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment to date?
Being the first to graduate from college in my family was a huge accomplishment for me. Now I am striving very hard to obtain my professional license as an architect.

What has been your favorite project to work on so far at KMA?
This may sound odd, but one of my favorite projects to work on is the renovation of the air intakes at the Federal Courthouse Building. It's an iconic building downtown that needs to be upgraded to prevent any chemical warfare. Our goal is to design a solution that will be the least intrusive to the integrity of the building.

How do you like to spend your time outside of the office?
I've been trying to learn how to surf since I arrived in San Diego, and by that, I mean, a lot of paddling and getting thrashed by waves; it definitely is not the easiest hobby to pick up but it has become a new passion of mine. I also have been doing a lot of exploring of what San Diego has to offer in terms of local breweries, wineries, restaurants, hiking, sailing, parks and beaches. It's looking good so far.