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At Honored Citizen we heard from Architects in Schools (AiS) volunteer and AFO K-5 Committee member Awar Meman, an architectural designer at Mackenzie. He shared how the Architects in Schools program shaped his life—not once, but twice.
Awar first signed up as an AiS volunteer while pursing a degree in architecture at University of Oregon. While exploring the AiS curriculum guide, a particular lesson caught his eye.
"It looked familiar, deeply familiar. It dawned on me, this might not be my first time participating in this program."
At 8 years old, Awar participated in AiS at his elementary school and was tasked with creating a village with his classmates.
"During that winter I was feeling homesick after a summer in Kurdistan. The holidays were making me miss my cousins dearly. I developed a friendship with two girls in my class who shared my love for creating. While that feeling of homesickness never fully went away, it softened, as the three of us sat in the back of the classroom creating. Together we built a world of our own. I didn’t know it then, but this was the first time architecture healed me."
Awar showed us that AiS doesn't just teach design. The program connects, heals, and inspires confidence in students. He credits AiS for helping him find his purpose in architecture and for shaping the path that led him to where he is today.
This is your chance to be that inspiration for another child. Volunteer with Architects in Schools and help students not only imagine buildings, but build futures.
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