|
“When I started at Dalton State, I knew it was going to be challenging. I had just a limited knowledge about drafting, but I jumped in with both feet.”
So says 28-year-old Rebecca Lowery, a 2003 graduate of Dalton State’s Associate of Applied Science in Drafting and Design Technology program, who has landed a dream job in an exciting field.
As a drafter with JKH Architects in Dalton, Rebecca has gained invaluable experience in a very short time, working on projects that utilize both her drafting skills and her instinct for interior design.
“In an architectural firm, the architects create the design concept, usually through sketches drawn by hand,” she says. “Then they share their concepts with the drafters, and we make it come alive using Computer Aided Drafting (CAD).”
In her role with JKH, Rebecca has worked on several projects, including working as the interior designer for the Gilmer County Courthouse project and working on the Whitfield County Courthouse project in both the drafting phases and as the firm’s “construction administrator.”
“What’s been really fun for me is working closely with the contractor for the project as a construction administrator. Basically, I’m there to make sure that the building is constructed according to the architect’s drawings.”
Rebecca sees her experience at Dalton State and subsequent employment with an architectural firm as a “blessing from God.”
After graduating from high school in 1995, she began her postsecondary education as a student in Auburn University’s Interior Environments program. It was there that she realized that she had a “hidden talent” for design.
But after two years, Rebecca moved to Ringgold to be near family and worked for several years in the computer industry. Then, when 9-11 hit, the internet company she worked for went bankrupt, and she was without a job.
“I decided to come back to school and study drafting,” she says, noting that she found the campus atmosphere to be very relaxed and accepting, a comfortable place for students of all ages.
“I was really ready to come back to school.”
While here, she took many drafting courses under Michael Jordan, Associate Professor of Drafting.
“He was an excellent instructor,” she recalls.
“He was someone who would give you direction, but wanted you to learn on your own as well.”
|
