Katy Janginejad

I attribute my success first and foremost to my family, especially my parents, who have been incredibly supportive while also having high expectations for me. I couldn't achieve any of the things I'm doing right now or will have in the future without their support. Beyond family, I'm a strong believer in God, and I think it's important to have a really strong belief, regardless of whatever religion you have. It's good to know that there's some superior energy that supports you, and as long as you ask, you're going to get. Having a supportive family is really, really important because when you feel down, they're always encouraging you, pushing you, and making you move forward. That's what it's been like for me most of the time.

Architecture is a really subjective field, and you never really have to follow any rules. You just have to follow your passion and let your creativity drive you, because you wouldn't succeed if you just follow the textbook or what other people are trying to do. That's how you stand out. You have to actually love the field because it's really hard and really demanding. School is hard, the job is hard. I'm always being really realistic, even to my students, telling them it's not going to be easy, so you have to make sure that you're doing something that you really like. Let your passion, your imagination, and all those things tell you what to do, not other people, not even the professors, the trends, or anything happening in the world. Architecture is one of those fields where you always have to make sure you're updated. You never have to stop researching, you never have to stop learning, because every day there's a new tool out there for us that we can use and promote. As soon as you stop, it feels like your career is going to be stopped. You're going to be there with no improvement, no progress, nothing. You have to keep yourself updated with the new tools and new knowledge that's out there. Don't be afraid of new technology like AI. So many colleagues, friends, and students are literally scared of using these tools, saying every day is going to be a new one and eventually they're going to replace us. But you haven't tried it! You can actually use it as a tool to stand out and differentiate your work from others. It's helpful.

Right now, people are really concerned about AI replacing them in architecture. The challenge is that many of my colleagues, friends, and students are literally scared of using these new tools. They say things like, 'Every day is going to be a new one, I'm not going to learn it, it's hard, and eventually they're going to replace us.' But they haven't even tried it! The opportunity is that you can actually use AI as a tool to stand out and differentiate your work from others. It's helpful, but people are really biased, unfortunately. The key is to keep yourself updated with the new tools and knowledge that's out there. If people don't use the new tools and new knowledge, they cannot find their spot in the field.