ARCHITECTURE + ANIMATION + GRAPHIC STORYTELLING
ARCHITECTURE RUNS IN NINA TSOLAKIS' BLOOD, but growing up it wasn't her passion. Then, something clicked and everything changed.
"My dad always hoped one of his kids would go into architecture. I didn't care for it at first, but ended up being the one who loved it," says Nina with a laugh, noting she is one of retired, longtime Drury architecture professor Alcibiades Tsolakis' eight children. "It's been a special experience to be able to be here, to be in his old school."
Now, as a sophomore at Drury University, Nina is excelling at her calling. Her design for an overnight shelter at Revive 66 Campground, a homeless community in Springfield, was recently chosen as Drury's next design/build project. And not only does this continue to grow her skillset, but it also gives her the opportunity to help others in need.
"It's been a whirlwind to work on it with everyone," she says of the project. "I chose Drury for this reason." Working closely with her professors and peers is gratifying for Nina and allows her to continue growing as an architect and humanitarian.
Nina's embracing her fusion with a focus on the future.
"There is so much I can do with architecture. I just know that whatever I do, I want it to be global. I want to travel a lot. I want to help people," she says, noting she grew up around the world, living in the likes of Greece and United Arab Emirates. "I am still figuring out what architecture means to me and my place in it. But I was purposeful with my minor and certificate.
"Fusion has opened up a lot of windows for me that I might not have considered otherwise."
