US - West

Founder, JammonStudios

Future Architect/Leader,

I empathize with the anxiety and apprehensions you currently face. A tough deck of cards—a fact of life right now. You've completed an incredibly rigorous program that has primed you for limitless opportunity. Head high, I am excited for you!

Our class graduated in 2011, also a concerning time. My takeaways and suggestions:

Become an ACE in as many softwares as you possibly can (Revit, Navisworks, anything to enable the Architect/Engineer & Builder to more effectively collaborate).

Proficiency and fluency in software does NOT corner you into a specific type of work or production role. It is YOUR responsibility to navigate the circumstances of your passions, career, and positions you will take.

Acquaint yourself with the funding sources for the market sectors in our economy and more specifically, from WHERE will those funding sources originate. This will yield an understanding of where future architectural opportunities exist (for example, medical versus retail).

 

Associate, David Baker Architects

Don't fret, 2020. Challenges present unique opportunities for design! You are all now equipped to help and to make the world a better, more efficient, and more equitable place for all. Consider this time a call for action!

Be proud, be patient, and congratulations! I am excited to see your contributions start to take root!

Dear Class of 2020,

I have been in mostly "stay home" life since January this year because of the challenging time. My biggest take away from it is that we can't be isolated by physical distance or barrier; we are eager to connect with others. And nothing could be more cheerful than getting a greeting from a friend or family living far everyday. Please stay strong and support your loved ones, as well as yourself. At the end of the crisis, we will be even closer to each than anytime before.

I'm proud to be a graduate from Sam Fox School, and my friends and professors since then have always been supporting me in many situations. Same to all of you! I will be here if you need any help.

Best wishes and congratulations to your coming graduation!

My graduating class ('06) entered the job market during a recession that hit the field of architecture particularly hard. Luckily, our design education at WashU was so well rounded and process-based that it prepared us to enter an uncertain market with skills and perspectives students from other universities didn't have. And while my class did have a graduation ceremony, when you remember or draw on you time at WashU, a sweltering day wearing a black polyester robe to mark your accomplishment isn't what will be important to your success. It's what you will do with your education that matters. So congratulations, Class of 2020. What will help you through this and will make you successful after this you already carry with you.

Los Angeles Program Director, ProjectArt

I am the LA Program Director for ProjectArt. We, like so many, took our content online. One of my teachers didn't skip a beat and started Zoom classes with his teens. I joined in, and it was a wonderful meditative experience, and I'm so glad the bond with his students has not faded. I hope you know you will always have the bond of your fellow classmates, regardless of what is currently happening. This has been a wonderful time to reconnect with my friends from WashU, as well. We will all keep doing wonderful things in this world despite the "schedule change."

Go out and make positive change and have a great story to tell your grandchildren about how you left college in this terrible moment only to rise above and find great success!

Assistant Curator, Skirball Cultural Center

I suspect when you thought about graduating with your BFA, you probably were not imagining that you'd be showing your work digitally and having your final crits on Zoom. Regardless, the hard facts of these strange times do not detract from what you have accomplished. You have worked hard, bonded with your classmates, and certainly you've learned something along the way, I hope.

I hope that you will continue to work through this difficulty to turn it into a rich source for your practice, as artists have always done. Design lifesaving devices, speak truth to power, ferment new expressive movements, and create beautiful (yes, I said it) images, objects, and products that will bring comfort and joy to people who need it.

Most of all, I hope you cherish your special tribe of art school weirdos, even if it's just over a computer screen. Hopefully you can reunite in person soon enough!

Until then, I hope you and your loved ones stay healthy, and please stop touching your face so much.

To the class of 2020: Don't stop being creative dreamers! I graduated WashU not knowing what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to somehow see the world. I found an internship program and bought a one-way ticket to Barcelona. I met great people, worked in design, was artistically inspired daily, learned fluent Spanish, and met the love of my life. Be smart, but have fun in the world... you never know where your bold choices will eventually take you and their impact on the rest of your life.

Principal, Dannenbrink Design & Planning; Independent Consultant

Be patient, you have plenty of time to do a few significant works in your careers!! I would never have imagined that I would have had all the career work opportunities!!

My love of the arts—all of the arts: painting, cinema, photography, poetry, drama, etc.—has sustained me all of my life. The wonderful education I received at the Art Institute of Chicago Junior School (1958–1965) and at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Fine Arts (1965–1969) truly has resonated in me throughout the years.
Dorothy Tanning says it well: "Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity. I don't see a different purpose for it now."
Please go out into our wounded world and create art that will heal. That is what we need now more than ever. Art of all kinds holds that promise and capability. I believe it. And I believe in you.

With Love and Good Wishes,
Kristin Glover, BFA 1969

P.S.: The image I share with you was taken while in residence at the Paris WU studio in '08. It was taken on film with a 1947 WideLux camera given to me by one of my mentors and dear friends, Haskell Wexler. I call the photo "Le Chef Takes a Break."

Owner, Monkey Deux Inc.

As someone who graduated almost 25 years ago, I can tell you that over those years I've never once told anyone, nor have I heard a particularly good story, about a graduation ceremony.  You've got a great story to tell about a time in your life that literally everyone living today will remember and relate to.  It's a great ice-breaker.  Congratulations, Class of 2020.

Dearest Class of 2020,

There is no denying this is really tough. No matter what your personal circumstances are, society is turning on its side. This is really uncomfortable. Let yourself feel the disappointment. Take good care of your body, mind, and spirit; they are your dearest asset. Since things aren't business as usual, you can be even more innovative. You have an advantage in being able to dig deep.

Observe
Feel
Try new things
Try again
Listen to people you value
Read
Follow your creative impulse
Come together with others. School friends can be among your closest and best resources once you leave school. Foster those relationships.

Expect ups and lows repeatedly. That's my experience in more than 30 years since my education. Some of you will continue to make, some won't, and some will return to the arts when it's a better time for you. That's natural, and it's okay.

Trust yourself

Sincere wishes for the well-being of you and of others,
Alex Hirsch

Sometimes the strangest, seemingly darkest times are when the seeds are planted for the greatest creativity and growth. Allow for the experience of loss and retreat, and all levels of reconsideration, knowing it is only an unexpected winter—and some day, however far in the future, there will be a balance of unexpected spring and summer.

Associate, SKB Architects

I graduated at the end of 2011 when the global economy began to recover from the Great Recession of 2008. Design services and construction were still impacted, and layoffs were all too common to be considered news. It was a daunting time to be graduating since many alumni a year or two ahead had yet to find a job or left the architecture field altogether. And a little more then a decade later, the architecture world is experiencing deja vu.

As someone who survived the 2008 crisis, I say, you will survive, too. Think of bad economical times as a design problem and what ways the architecture industry can be more resilient. Use this opportunity to equip yourself with the learned academic skills because design and critical thinking are tools that can be used beyond the architectural field. Architecture is bigger than what you mind think it is.

Principal, DLR Group

CHEERS TO YOU ALL! You are all such strong people, giving up the end of your college experience. Being part of the Class of 2020 under these conditions is going to make you all closer, lifelong friends. More than anyone else will ever understand. You are (hopefully) the only class that will ever have this experience. You are ready to take on the world and prove that this experience has made you a better citizen. You will succeed more than we can imagine. I look forward to you joining our community of design professionals.

Cheers to you and may your successes start immediately. Travel together often and far. Take the world by storm, and show them you are the best to come in.

Similar to when a child is born early, "And though she be but little, she is fierce," you are sent away from school early, but you are going to succeed more than we can imagine.
Congrats and best wishes to you,
Erica

President & CEO, Malick Infill Corp

I graduated with two master's degrees from WashU in 2009. With job prospects non-existent, I was forced to find my own way. Having invested years in my professional development, I wasn't willing to give up on architecture and urban design as a career path. More than 10 years later, I look back at my situation at graduation and am grateful I graduated during a recession. I now have my own design and development company. Had I been given a job out of school, I likely wouldn't have chosen this path. Remember, put yourself in a place where you have no option but to succeed, and you will surpass your expectations.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

While these are turbulent times, may your creativity and passion long outlive this pandemic. You have been well prepared by the Washington University Family and represent excellence at all levels.

Best wishes and may you soar in the weeks and months ahead!

With admiration and accolades,

John P. Margolis, AIA

Dear Class of 2020,

My best wishes to you all as you graduate into this strange new world. We will get back to normal as we have in the past after other difficult times, but I wonder how your career path and creative expression will be changed and enhanced by this collective experience. Will you remember the importance of connection, kindness, preparation, and imagination? You will get through this, you will thrive, and you will do important work. We look forward to seeing it happen.

Congratulations,
Lynn McLeod

Dear Class of 2020,

You have worked so hard for four years. Congratulations on all that you have accomplished! I hope to encourage you that, although it is a huge loss not to celebrate what you've worked for with your peers, you have much to celebrate ahead.

One lesson I have learned in this crisis is artists have a unique ability to transform darkness into light. We are trained to use our creativity to see the world in a different way that opens up possibility. Though I don't believe anyone needs to prove how productive they can be in this strange time, approaching each day's limitations with creativity can be transformative. I have been able to make new work from home, with a more spontaneous spirit, enjoying the discovery of simple beauty.

I hope you can find new reserves of strength, resolve, and innovation for this season and beyond. Let the art we make, and the fact that we make it, be a protest against despair and a sign of resilience and hope in the world.

Artist

I graduated with a BFA in 1974. I am a full-time artist.

Making a living is sometimes smooth, sometimes a struggle. Architectural commissions have been a mainstay.  Most commissions allow me freedom to be creative within parameters, which helps develop problem-solving skills. Great art is often made within defined boundaries. My worldly success is modest. I've made public pieces, but I'm not represented by a successful gallery, nor have had profiles in Art in America. Yet I can't imagine a more successful life. I spend my days working in the studio. I live in gratitude.

My advice:

Beware of society's prevailing values.  Worship of wealth and the individual serves us poorly.

Contemplate the natural world such as the earth spinning on its axis or our complex network of neurons. It's mysterious and beautiful.

And be empathetic. This will inform your work and lead to good decision-making.

Artist

Aloha! I have been documenting da life of Wash U parents Marela and George Man. While dealing wit Corona dey having problems wit dher mask fo get ready fo gradumacation dinna shopping.

Translation:

Hello, I have been documenting the life of Washington University parents Marela and George Man. They are having problems dealing with Corona virus. They need to go shopping for their son's graduation dinner but being sharks with gills, N95 masks are inadequate.

I hope your family is not experiencing similar foibles. If so, let me know.

"Forward, my little brothers, and drink of the bitter waters, there is no retreat
(I mua e nä pöki‘i a inu i ka wai ‘awa‘awa, ‘a‘ole hope e ho‘i aku ai.)"

-Kamehameha Paiea leading his warriors to unify the Islands of Hawai'i.

It strikes me that we are slowly perhaps maybe beginning to unify the world through aloha?

Software Engineer, Pinterest

Dear Class of 2020,

While now is an especially tough time for many people around the world, I can only imagine how it feels to have your final year abruptly cut short with many of the exciting year-end activities, including graduation, canceled.

I know you've been working extremely hard preparing for your year-end milestone (I remember spending many hours in the studio in preparation for our printmaking senior thesis show!), but please don't assume your work will go to waste! Now, more than ever, is the time to use those critical-thinking skills you've been developing and GET CREATIVE. If you can't have an in-person gallery show, figure out how to show your work online—create a video to present your work or do a live presentation over Zoom or Google Hangouts!

While it's easy to be frustrated by the situation, I challenge you to flip that on its head and think about how you can create opportunity in new ways during this time!

Stay safe and healthy—wishing you all the best!

Fine Artist, Designer, Architect

OK, so probably you are sensing that it won't be so easy for you. It was honestly already tricky to transfer from the grueling-but-exciting realm of school to the "work" world of architecture, but it is going to be harder for you. Yup. Jobs will be harder to come by, and there is so much general uncertainty. Recessions are lousy.

That said, you are prepared. You are creative, thoughtful, energetic, unbelievably hardworking, and adaptive problem-solvers. Washington University helped make you all that.

Try to be problem-seers. When you can spot something, you can name it, break it down, and find things to handle, to fix, to make better, to make fantastic. You won't be able to fix it all, so be patient. Be patient and kind with others. On kindness, some of you will have or find privilege in engaging work right away. For others of you, it will take longer. Don't boast, because it is obnoxious, and don't be envious, because it is toxic. Be there for each other, encourage each other. Go forth!

Dear Class of 2020,

I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you, even though we've never met! I can't imagine how tough this semester has been for you with the state of the world. Keep pursuing your goals even when it all feels impossible. As someone who graduated in the last economic downturn, I know it won't be easy, but you can do it. Help each other and stay in touch—you're part of a valuable network. Our hearts go out to you.

Sincerely,
Allison Rinaldi (Class of 2009)

To the Class of 2020:

Congratulations! Be proud of all of that you’ve accomplished, and celebrate this success in each and every way you can. The world feels unusually bleak these days, so claim this joy and pride. It’s yours. You’ve earned it. Revel in it.

You’re entering the post-collegiate world at such a strange and unusual time, and it’s going to take courage, resilience, and self-compassion to make this transition. Luckily, if you’ve learned only two things in art school, it’s to be resourceful and to think creatively. I can’t think of two better skills to have in a time of great uncertainty. You’ve got this.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

This has been a challenging few months for everyone, I am sure. Interestingly, the thing that has brought me the most comfort and calm these days has been to reopen my sketchbook and draw. I've been doing this far more than any other time since when I was at Sam Fox, and it brings me a lot of pleasure. Many times that I pick up the pen, I think of different moments from school where I was taught a certain technique and think how cool it is that moments like that have had a lasting impact on my abilities.

No matter what happens going forward, embrace the lessons you've learned and passion you've found in school. It can help you in unexpected ways!

Founder/Creative Director, Lions Gate Companies LLC

Good afternoon, Class of 2020,

I wanted to drop you a note from Scottsdale, Arizona. I am a BFA 1973 and wanted you to know what an honor it was to become part of the Washington University family. It is a great institution and, for those who apply themselves, your degree from WashU will offer you limitless opportunities.

My opportunities at WashU gave me the knowledge and confidence to start my own advertising agency immediately following graduation. I have enjoyed a great career and continue to work in the field I love so much.

So work hard and have fun. And remember to take advantage of the world-class learning opportunities by being a part of this incredible institution/family.

Charlie Stricklan
Lions Gate Companies, LLC
Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Partner + Creative Director, Wall-to-Wall Studios

Dear Class of 2020,

Congratulations on your amazing accomplishments!

It breaks my heart to know that you and thousands of other graduates are being robbed of the customary celebrations and hoopla that you so richly deserve.

While there is no doubt that these last few weeks have reshaped your perspective on your path forward and the world around you, please do not let this abrupt shift in the paradigm diminish all that you've achieved thus far.

You have already proven that you are capable of provoking thought and creating beauty from nothing but raw materials, vision, and your own two hands. That is your gift. I have no doubt that you will channel this time of pain and uncertainty into creating beauty and opportunity where none seems to exist. If you let hope lead your heart even in times of darkness, you will make it through.

Sending much aloha from Hawaii!

Principal, Gensler

To the Class of 2020

you are embarking into a world that has been changed
class of 2020
will have the same resonance as 9/11
and like 9/11
when I was a recently graduated architect
with dreams of creating something in the world
I learned that the power of the creative act
endures longer than the destructive act
there are those of us who seek to create
you are one
and we will endure

Let your work be a means to see the world more clearly and reach new understanding. Amid so much loss, this is a moment for putting into practice all that you have learned. You are reaching a new level of ability to care for yourself and others. There are countless ways.

Embracing the Change, Expressing Gratitude

I want to send a message of support to the graduate students who have embraced this extraordinary moment of disruption and uncertainty.

We held our first Zoom studio, with all 12 students, plus my co-teacher, looking at each project as if we were standing by their desks, and using our styluses to draw over their shared screens as if we were in the room together. I am quite proud of how the students have taken this extraordinary circumstance in their strides and are pushing through with their work with grace, energy, creativity, integrity, and a spark of humor.  No one asked for this crisis, and yet our students have been the best model of why they wanted to come to Washington University in the first place: Because they want to be architects, they want to build, they want to understand the world through that lens, and they want to make a difference to that world.  I can see it happening right before me, and I say, "Yes, they will, yes."