Ian Klene, a sustainable planning and urban design major from Arvada, Colorado, is working at AECOM in San Francisco as an urban planner and architectural consultant.
I would not have gotten through this without you. Late nights in studio or early morning at the CINC, it was always amazing to be around so many other great designers and fantastic procrastinators.
What inspired you to come to ENVD?
I started my academic career as an engineering student but found it extremely unfulfilling, I always thought architecture would be a perfect fit but, once I got here I really realized how much I loved planning and urban design.
What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU Boulder that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
The greatest experience I had at CU was my time in Colombia. Being able to study abroad in a country that is so incredibly different from what I have experienced and being able to help build a community space for the neighborhood that so desperately needed it was the most fulfilling thing I have done in my entire life, even if I did dislocate my knee in the process.
Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
Even if you are not super interested in a design-build project that ENVD is offering, take it anyway, you will learn more in 6 weeks of a praxis studio than you did in a whole semester of other classes, and you have the chance to get to really know your professors and peers on a level that you don't have a chance to otherwise.
Favorite memory?
I'm not sure if I can pick a favorite memory from school, so much of it blends together, but I know I wouldn't have had any of these memories without my best friends and favorite professors.
What does graduating from college represent for you?
Graduating from college is a huge step, I have been in school for 16 years straight and though I always knew that I would finish, I never really knew what comes after, so graduating college for me represents a huge leap into the unknown.
What are your plans beyond graduation?
I am working at AECOM in San Francisco as an urban planner and architectural consultant.