Travis landed in Chicago after a life on both coasts. He grew up in California and Arizona, then moved to Boston for his studies, where he started a degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering at Boston University before transferring into the Bachelor of Architecture program at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
From the beginning, it was architecture’s collaborative community that endeared him to the profession. “It was creative and technical at the same time,” he says. “It tickled both sides of my brain.”
That brain was set on a path to architecture in middle school during an industrial arts and applied technology class taught by Terry Pemberton. He was tasked with designing, drafting, and building different objects, from a simple boxcar to a basketball hoop and more complex arrangements that included magnetic levitation. It may sound like a lot for a 6th grader, but for Travis, it was just the beginning.
His arrival in the Midwest took place in 2007 during a trip to the Windy City, where Travis felt the winds of change ushering him to take the next step in his career. He interviewed at several firms, including OKW, confident that Chicago would be his new home. Although he returned to Boston with more than one offer, it was OKW’s dedication to helping him transition to Chicago that sealed the deal.
“They cared about me as a person, introduced me to the specific people I would be working with, and gave me resources to find an apartment and ease the transition to a new city.” Once again, it was the community that allowed him to make the easy choice.
Travis soon stood out as a dependable team player and an indefatigable workhorse. He was asked to wear multiple hats during the economic crisis of 2008 and in a very short period of time, his responsibilities exploded. He learned resilience through this experience, becoming an expert in many fields, from project management to accounting and office support.
Through it all, he continued to enjoy the profession’s community. As a transplant from the coasts, Travis has invested a lot of himself into OKW and Chicago, becoming a regular fixture not only in office events, but in industry gatherings. “I hope that by leading by example, I can inspire others to engage with the community and find that camaraderie within the office.”