Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadine Saint-Louis.
Hi Nadine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story is one that did not follow a straight path.
I was born in New York to parents who emigrated from Haiti to the United States in the 1970s. I had a strict upbringing, which I am thankful for today, and attended catholic school all my life. My Haitian culture and catholic upbringing are the root of my tenacity and the reason for my character today.
As a child, I was always into how things worked. I played with Legos more than I played with dolls, and always wanted to be a part of the building projects that my dad took on around the house. I am not sure how much help I provided because he sometimes had to rebuild the project over again. However, I treasure those moments with my dad and am thankful he allowed me to assist. Fun fact, even though I am a licensed architect, I still follow his lead when we build projects, and I always will. I affectionately say that I get my desire to put things together from my dad, but my will to not give up or quit from my mom. My mom instilled in me the will to keep going, never give up, to make sure you are remembered for “doing my best”.
The desire to get it right is from my mom. Then there is my sister, my superhero. God knew what he was doing when he blessed me with her as an older sister. At every stage in my life, sometimes I don’t want to admit it, she has been right. She is the greatest example to follow, a confidant when needed, and a best friend without question. We often have sister dates, which I look forward to fondly. My family is extensive, and I am thankful for them all, nieces, nephews, brother-in-law, aunts, uncles, and cousins. You see, my family is my heartbeat. I couldn’t begin to share my story without sharing that deepest core of me, of who I am, and of who continues to make me better and accountable daily.
My path to Architecture was not direct. I was always fascinated with building things as a child, but I didn’t know it was Architecture at the time. I saw my dad, who was an engineer and thought to myself, I am going to be an engineer. In my young mind, engineers created things and that is what I was going to be. I made this definitive decision about my future at the wise young age of 10; I had so much to learn.
When it was time for college, I applied to Polytechnic University and began my career as an engineer. It was not long after I began engineering that I realized it was not for me. There was one instance that made this realization very clear. There was a class in which the task was to lay out a supermarket as efficiently as possible, however, my only concern with the assignment was how to design the exterior façade. The professor kindly pulled me aside and said, “I think you are in the wrong field”. He explained what Architecture was and at that moment everything clicked. I later applied to the New York Institute of Technology for a Bachelor of Architecture degree and never looked back. I later moved to Miami and went on to obtain a Master of Architecture degree at Florida International University.
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in this field, while working full-time, was difficult.
However, nothing was more difficult or tested my resolve more than sitting for the Architect Registration Exams (ARE). My lowest moment in Architecture was when I was taking the last part of my ARE’s and failed it for the third time. I was so exhausted and emotionally drained. The moment I opened my email and saw that I had failed again, I was devastated! I was ready to give up and quit.
I was sincerely over it. I allowed myself a 24-hour pity party and then decided that I was too close to give up now (I thank my mom for this resolve). I passed the next time I took the exam, but “that” particular failure was my lowest point. I will never forget what it felt like and that it took me 24 hours to decide not to give up. What allowed me to overcome my lowest point was my stubbornness. I don’t quit. Not to mention the sheer GRACE OF GOD! And I mean that wholeheartedly. It took a total of five years for me to complete my exams. I am proud to say that I am licensed in the state of New York and the state of Florida.
As great as I felt about being licensed at the time, something was missing. It wasn’t enough. I needed to do more. The Architectural profession is male-dominated with minorities not a part of that domination. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) reported that as of 2022 121,603 licensed architects were working in the U.S. and only 2% were black. Of those, only roughly 566 were black women (at the time reported). The numbers for Hispanic women are not much better. The numbers for minorities are not great in general. I think one of the toughest obstacles I faced, in the pursuit of this profession, was not having someone I could relate to or look up to that represented me.
I could count on one hand how many black architect students I went to school with and of that number maybe one or two of them, myself included, were women. That was tough and at times it felt like I was in it alone. Seeing someone you can relate to, in my opinion, helps tremendously. For this reason, I decided it wasn’t about me anymore, I wanted to help make a change. I wanted to be what I didn’t have as a student in this profession. I wanted to be a minority face that a student could relate to.
I joined organizations such as the Miami chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the South Florida chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects. I am extremely active in both organizations, Co-Chairing the Diversity & Inclusion Committee in the former and serving as the President of the latter in 2022. I am also an adjunct professor at Florida International University, teaching entry-level design studios. I want all young architects to be able to relate to someone who has traveled the path that they currently are on. I feel responsible for creating a solid foundation that the next generation can stand on to become even greater. I want them to see me and be better than I could ever be.
This is my story. I am an architect, some call me a leader, and some refer to me as a mentor. I may be all of those. However, what is most important to me is that I am someone who decided to take the time to help make a change.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In my story, I mention the obstacles of representation and the ARE exams. These obstacles are tremendous and very real. However, there is another obstacle that I don’t speak of often, and that is the obstacle of self-doubt. I am a firm believer that if you can see it, you can be it. But what happens to those who don’t see it? That was me. I cannot count how many times I questioned if I could do this let alone succeed at this.
I wanted to quit many times, but my stubbornness allowed me to push through that. However, self-doubt was constant and always in the back of my mind. The obstacle of self-doubt transcends just a career, it creeps into the thoughts of every aspect of one’s life. I would say that the combination of self-doubt, lack of representation, and the ARE exams was the hardest aspect of this career. What got me through was my family and a few close friends. I am blessed and thankful.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
An aspect of my career that I am most proud of was the decision I made to teach. Teaching students has become the most fulfilling part of my career.
I love Architecture and working in the profession, however, being able to inspire the youth has a special place in my heart. Anyone who knows me knows how much teaching means to me and how much all of my students mean to me.
So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is being able to make a positive impact on the next generation in the field of Architecture. This matters because all that we inhabit is architecture.
Architecture is about people, their interaction, and their impact on the built environment. Empowering the next generation to be better will yield a better future. With time will come change and that is something I firmly believe in.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsaintlo27/?hl=en
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nadine-saint-louis-ra-aia-noma-60a936a5
