Her Story
About Alexis
I work as a photometric specialist, a career I got into through interior design about 4 years ago. In my role, I use lighting software to develop 3D models that are pre-designed by engineer firms and interior design firms. I construct the models and add lighting that's either selected by the design team or by our team, and I let the clients know whether or not they're meeting whatever particular code they're trying to meet. I just graduated with my bachelor's degree in May, and I've applied to the New York School of Interior Design to take their Master's in Lighting program, which will start in October and last for about a year. My goal after completion is to teach the lighting design class at my alma mater - the lighting design teacher there is postponing her retirement until I'm able to graduate, which is really special. During my time in school, I was the student president for the IIDA chapter for 4 years and made tremendous strides in the club for the student group. It became like a 30-hour work week with work and school combined. I'm passionate about bridging the gap between education and career, helping students realize that everyone starts from nowhere and that asking questions to get to the level of understanding you need shouldn't be frowned upon. I work from home, which has been essential as I manage stage 4 endometriosis, and I'm grateful for that flexibility.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alexis
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to motivation and the drive to go above and beyond in everything I do. When I see a project or something, my initial reaction is to ask myself, okay, well, how do I make it even better? How can I offer that above and beyond service in everything that I do? I think that mindset has gotten me very far, because it's not just what you're presenting, it's that little extra sparkle that's thrown into it that catches the eye and draws the attention. I really enjoy having a project that I'm faced with that I don't even know where to start on, and in two weeks, I'm telling the clients left, right, and center about everything that's going on with it. Learning new skills and overcoming obstacles and challenges is my favorite part. I also think it's important to realize that the level of education that comes out of some schools is not up to par, and students should be pushed and encouraged to go back and redo and redesign. For me, it's about not accepting mediocrity - it's going above and beyond and constantly defeating goals, achieving goals, and overcoming obstacles.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to never give up, to always remember that bad days are gonna happen, and it's the motivation that you have for yourself that keeps you going. I deal with stage 4 endometriosis, which right now kind of just completely takes away my life, where I'm still able to work from home, and if I didn't have that ability, I don't know if I would be able to work. I mention that because you can have a bad day and just want to give up everything, but going back in the next day and keeping your head up - I could tell everybody, just keep swimming, it's fine. That's a really important aspect in whatever you're dealing with. I also see a lot of entry-level students who are very shy and don't feel like they have the competence through school to get to their career. What I see the most is just a lot of lack of confidence, and I think everybody needs to realize that everybody starts from nowhere, and asking questions to get to the level of understanding you need to get to shouldn't be frowned upon.
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