Future Leaders of America – David Stewart

Starting in October of 2013, The Harlem Times will profile exceptional young people from all over the nation. The goal is to showcase academics, career choices, and the individual characters of some of the finest men and women of this present generation.

We start with David Stewart, a young man who believes he was called into a career in design. Always a shining star in school, David now attends Hampton University’s prestigious school of architecture. We sat down with David and asked him a few questions as to why he choose this career path. And most importantly, how does his choice have a positive effect on others…

Students work for several months and then present a final project with other participating school districts at NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology).

I believe that young people should always find programs that are available for them – whether it’s at school, or at the local/community college. Another thing that I have learned  is patience, especially in the field of design.  Most student’s early work looks really awful, but with time and practice, it gets much better.

On a side note, beginning designers should practice drafting by hand and do not overly rely on the computer. This is because you must first master draftsmanship using paper and pencil – the computer is not  introduced into your studies until later.

Why did you choose architecture as a career path?

I didn’t choose architecture, it chose me at a very young age.

What has been the most interesting thing you have learned since being at Hampton?

At Hampton I learned that architecture is more than just drawing up floor plans, it actually is a skill and art that takes time to perfect – perfected and combined with imagination. We are learning the fundamentals right now.

What are some of the interesting things you have learned so far in  your academic life? 

I took art from K-12, and was part of an amazing mentoring program at Teaneck High School. Directed by Yvonne Witter, the ACE Mentoring Program of America (Architecture Construction Engineering), is a program that partners high school students with design professionals from different firms in the three fields.

How do you see applying what you learn to benefit society as a whole?

What I’m learning will always benefit society because no matter what, people are always going to need houses and places to live, work, etc. But architects can go beyond the obvious. In particular with the utilization of eco-friendly and smart home concepts, which I believe in the long run will greatly benefit global society as a whole.