was crazy. But, you know, it’s for the taxpayer — to give them something that they can use and enjoy. What are you most proud of? I wasn’t an outstanding student at the University of Utah. That’s why I took a year off. I needed to get some experience. I had never been exposed to the field of architecture. I knew I loved it, but my dad was a businessman and everybody I knew was in business; I had never met an architect in my life. When I graduated from the University of Utah and was working with Richardson, I knew how to draft and do that kind of thing, but they had offered me an opportunity to become a principal. That really scared me because I knew a principal had to bring in work. And that meant being a stellar salesperson. I was not a salesperson. You tell me no, and I’ll feel really, really bad. So, when Davis School District offered me a position, I jumped at the chance. I learned from that that not every architecture student needs to become Mies van der Rohe. You can also become an important part of the process by being an administrator. Managing costs and discovering that our new design was within our budgets; selling daylighting was very important. Jeanne Jackson helped me with that. I have to credit her because she did a lot of the research. I just read it when she would pass it on to me and then we would implement it together. And now, every time I turn the corner and see Shoreline Junior High School in Layton, I get goosebumps. I think it’s beautiful. And it did not cost an arm and a leg. It was built within a reasonable budget for what school buildings cost. One of the highlights of my career was in 2014 when I was inducted into the College of Fellows. That was just stunning to me. The first year, I didn’t make it. The second year, we tried it again. Jeanne and RK Stewart helped me, and I finally got that letter of acceptance. I took my daughters to the investiture in Atlanta. We had a grand weekend. We flew first class and had a limo take us to the hotel, and that just really lifted me up. One of the jurists told me that it was the best submission he’d seen. My daughter started crying; it was just such a great moment. I owe that to Jeanne; she dragged me along kicking and screaming. I believe I was the first school district architect to be admitted into the College of Fellows. Odyssey Elementary School, Woods Cross Shoreline Junior High School, Layton West Bountiful Elementary School exterior (top) and interior (bottom) 14 REFLEXION
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