Major: Architecture
Michael Rivera was always inspired by the stories his parents would tell as they drove around town.
“My mother was a senior interior designer and my father was a principal at an architectural firm,” he said. “It was amazing to me how we could pass buildings and one or both of my parents would point out how they had a hand in designing it. I believe this is what first drove me to pursue architecture.”
After graduating from high school, Rivera could not afford to attend a four-year university, so College of DuPage was an affordable and close option.
“COD luckily had a stellar Architecture program that I later found out set me up for success in ways that a traditional four-year university could not,” he said. “This is purely anecdotal, but the stories I heard from high school friends who went to four-year universities in other states to also pursue architecture often expressed their displeasure about how their first two years were too theoretical and slow-paced. Many of them did not have design studio classes until their second or third year.
“At College of DuPage, we had design studios from day one. Professors Mark Pearson, Jane Ostergaard and Ted Kulinski did a fantastic job of keeping us all engaged and motivated throughout the semesters. They worked together to ensure all of our classes supported each other thematically and never conflicted concerning due dates and exams.”
After earning his Associate in Applied Science in Pre-Architecture Technology and graduating with high honors, Rivera transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is completing a Bachelor of Architectural Studies with a minor in Sustainability, Energy and Environment.
Every class I attended at COD, architecture or not, had professors who were engaged and interested in seeing me succeed.
Michael Rivera
During his last semester, he attended the Illinois School of Architecture’s Chicago Studio, a semester-long residential immersion in the Chicago architectural scene typically exclusive to graduate students. He was part of a project that focused on Woodlawn, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
“Our job was to work with firms, developers and the community to create a cohesive plan to revitalize Woodlawn,” he said. “Woodlawn used to have a population of 120,000. Now it has a population of 30,000. With the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) slated for construction just a couple blocks away and the University of Chicago bordering on the north, the concern is that the OPC will not have the beneficial affect that people were hoping for and will instead service only those closest to Hyde Park. Even worse, the OPC could bring about effects of gentrification, pushing out an already hurting community.
“We worked with local community leaders such as Byron Brazier and the Apostolic Church of God and community groups like Network of Woodlawn to ensure their voices were heard.”
Rivera completed his Master of Architecture at UIUC, where he was also a teaching assistant. For his urban vertical garden project that celebrated parametric architecture, which he set in the Kanto region of Tokyo, he received first place for the Graduate Design Excellence Award in the Mixed-Use Mid-Scale Division.
Currently working in Chicago at a firm with the Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Rivera plans to become a licensed architect and would like to open his own firm that supports local or disadvantaged communities. He also would like to create works of architecture that tell stories, just like his parents did.
As for COD, Rivera is happy he could pursue his education without risk to his own financial stability while gaining an experience that was superior to other four-year universities.
“Although there is still a stigma around attending two-year colleges, I promise you that a community college is a great choice for your education and for your finances,” he said. “A community college is just that: a community. Every class I attended at COD, architecture or not, had professors who were engaged and interested in seeing me succeed.
“The Architecture program at COD specifically did so much for me. The lessons they taught me in the classroom helped me succeed when I transferred to U of I, and I can say this confidently because every semester I have attended U of I, I have been nominated for the Earl Prize in Design. Even outside of the classroom, I will forever cherish the relationships forged in studio. I met so many wonderful and talented people, students and professors alike. Looking back, I wouldn’t change anything and I whole-heartedly recommend to anyone interested in architecture to start at COD.”
Learn more about the Architecture program at College of DuPage