Having been born here in Houston, Texas, I will forever have a love, dedication and commitment to what I consider at heart “my city.” I am the second youngest of six siblings. Growing up I faced many challenges that have shaped me into who I am today. By the age of nine, I had called four different places “home,” with varying living situations. From that young age I realized that I wanted more in life; that my childhood would be a journey of chasing better, stability and happiness.
Through childhood I was naturally good at drawing. During my free time or when class felt boring, I would just draw. Drawing landscape, terrain, cars, people, anything and everything. Drawing led to my questioning society, standards and what could be. Before drawing I would ask myself, “What would the best house look like?” “What could a future car be?” I found peace in drawing and never asked more from it. Little did I know it would become a big part of my daily life.
As a teenager I realized that keeping busy with school, work and sports would help me navigate my environment and keep me out of trouble. Ultimately, I believed that keeping such a schedule would give me the best opportunity at reaching the goals I had set for myself. Since then, I have stayed on the path I envisioned and have enjoyed the many chapters.
At the age of 14 I worked at a local Wingstop, was an A+ student in my class and participated in extracurricular activities of sports, ecology and leadership. My hard work paid off and led me to my dream school, Texas A&M University. I enrolled at A&M because of its values and pillars. My time at A&M led me to learning so much more about Landscape Architecture, different walks of life and the responsibilities of becoming a man.
After graduating from A&M, I worked in firms that developed my skills in designing both small- and large-scale spaces, parks and communities. At every step of the way I have challenged myself to grow, and thankfully I have had great mentors along the way. My passion is creating places and homes. I value the most what we can give to the common man and what we as individuals give the communities that we call home.
When designing a public space or community, I think of the kids that will associate that place with happiness, the people that will create memories, the setting it becomes to the people that call that place home and the beautiful ecology that makes our world go round. When the place is complete it brings me joy to see the goodness I have helped create. I like to think that when my time comes, I will have left a piece of me behind.
During my free time I am a man of many hobbies. One of my favorite things to do is visit the many places I have already helped bring to life. Places within Houston, within the Houston region such as Sugar Land, Arcola, Fort Bend, Pearland, Conroe, Montgomery, Katy and as far as San Antonio, East Texas and Lubbock. It brings me great joy to see people enjoying the built environment, the hardscape improvements and the setting of a place they call home.
We live in a world that gives to us and I feel the responsibility in caring for it. My hidden passion has always been the living systems that naturally reside in our great state of Texas, from the Prairies to the Wetlands and the Piney Woods. My greatest vision is working towards creating a society that can best balance nature and the built environment. I hope that with time, through design and collaboration, I help create great places that society looks to as models of good design.
My advice to young professionals is to find what drives you, give the journey reason, make goals and plan a vision that will get you to reach those goals. Life is complex and the everyday challenges can easily overwhelm anyone. Writing down goals, having a plan and creating a system of meeting check points can really help in creating a place, growing in a career and the overall development through life.
