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After attaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Art / Art History in 2020, Tatiana
proceeded to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Design from the Dynamic Media Institute at the
Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2022. Convinced that she could play a role in
improving human environments, whether physical or virtual, she accepted an offer from a
woman-owned architectural lighting design firm based in the mid-Atlantic. Her on-the-job
learning through self-teaching and mentoring from a seasoned professional stimulated a
hunger for more formal learning opportunities where she could engage in a dynamic,
interactive process with other like-minded students. She joined the CU program after learning
about the course during an IES Emerging Professional event at the Annual Conference. That
small firm has since merged with Apeiro Design, a nationally known multi-faceted lighting
design firm, opening further opportunities for Tatiana’s growth and learning.
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“I believe the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Lighting Certificate Program provided the perfect opportunity to fill my
various gaps of knowledge in both the technical and creative aspects of lighting, and it instilled
me with confidence in this new field. As a new professional with existing school loans and other
payments, I greatly appreciated the financial assistance as I was covering the cost of the
program on my own.”

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After earning her degree in Apparel Design and Merchandising, Remy spent over 15 years
immersed in the fashion, textiles, and clothing industry. However, life took an unexpected turn
when a divorce transformed her into a single parent, prompting her to seek a more flexible
career. This led her to embark on her "second act" in a lighting showroom. When encouraged
by a colleague to expand and explore architectural lighting design Remy was initially confronted
by an outdated belief she held that “women could make things beautiful while men could make
things functional.” Despite this hesitation, she took a bold step forward, applied for, and
accepted an offer to relocate from Colorado to join the Lighting Design Team at Newcomb &
Boyd, an engineering firm in Atlanta, GA. Today, Remy embraces the intersection of technology,
engineering and creativity where lighting design exists. While her on-the-job experiences have
been instrumental, she recognized the importance of further academic study to fuel her
curiosity and foster her growth in the field. She is also committed to uplifting other women who
possess similar skills and interests, helping them find their place in the lighting industry. She is
the Co-Leader of the Atlanta chapter for WILD (Women in Lighting + Design) and continues to
find ways to build upon her education and understanding of this industry in order to encourage
other women like her.
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“This award facilitated the next steps in my growth as a multifaceted designer and proactive
advocate for women who aspire to contribute more to architectural lighting design than just
pretty things.”

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As an architect working at a small architecture firm in Puerto Rico, Edwin has been involved in
many types of projects, and in recent years the topic of lighting and its role in the relationship between��
the built environment and humans has intrigued him. He desired to delve deeper into
the world of lighting to better understand how lighting impacts people’s spaces and daily
activities – but he found that advanced lighting education was not available in Puerto Rico and
that lighting was often overlooked during design. The CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Architectural Lighting
Certificate program offered greater depth than other programs he evaluated, and the fact that
it is primarily online was beneficial since he needed to continue working while pursuing further
education. Edwin is eager to use this educational experience to contribute to his company, his
coworkers, and the architecture community in general on Puerto Rico.

"This financial award will help me acquire the knowledge I need to continue growing as a
professional and also bring the experiences I learned to Puerto Rico. All the other programs that
have interested me are either too far away or too expensive for me since the cost of living here
in Puerto Rico continues to rise daily, making these opportunities disappear. I am sure that the
CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Architectural Lighting Certificate program will help me contribute to the island and
promote architecture and design where light positively influences the user experience."

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A fourth-grade science project first stimulated an interest in lighting, when they used alligator
clips, a 9-V battery, and a few small incandescent lamps to create a lighting system for a foam
core model of their childhood home. That experience first demonstrated how lighting can set a
mood and can be used to highlight the important aspects of a space or a subject. The initial
spark from that project led to Briana’s decision to pursue electrical engineering at the
University of South Carolina, graduating in 2017. Their lighting interest continued while working
in an engineering job and in 2023, while attending LightFair for the first time, Briana learned of
the Light Justice initiative. They recognized the opportunity to integrate aspects of their identity
as a Black, neurodivergent, nonbinary person with their love of lighting, learning about the
importance of lighting for the well-being of autistic people, and how poor lighting design
reinforces systemic inequalities in lower-income neighborhoods. Briana applied to the CU
graduate education program as the next step in realizing this new vision for a career in lighting.

“My hope in enrolling in CU ����Vlog�ƽ��’s Architectural Lighting Certificate program is to have a
foundation of knowledge to combine with my existing skills, connect with other professionals
and scholars in lighting design, and apply this new expertise to the social injustices that exist in
my community. I appreciate CU ����Vlog�ƽ��’s recognition of the historical marginalization that
people from different backgrounds face in the sciences and this has informed my decision to
enroll in this program.”

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With little family support or direction, Laila completed an undergraduate degree in
architectural engineering in 2020 at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime
Transport in her home country of Egypt. But the repetitive nature of entry-level work as an
interior designer in Cairo caused her to question her direction. After completing an interior
design project for a local lighting contractor, that contractor asked her to join their team as a
lighting designer. Seizing the opportunity to re-direct her career trajectory, Laila stepped into
the unknown, initiating a steep self-taught learning curve as she managed multiple lighting
projects in Egypt and Dubai, UAE. Then came several transitions in December of 2022 – and the
newly married designer relocated to the United States, where her husband was employed. The
weeks of cultural adjustment and job searching initially proved discouraging, as Laila realized
the large differences in technology and terminology between her background and the US
lighting industry. But she persevered, jumped into the CU education program, and has since
joined the lighting design team at Newcomb & Boyd, an engineering firm in Atlanta, GA.
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“Although I worked in lighting design internationally, my transition to the US made me realize
that I was starting from the beginning, and I needed to be more marketable and learn about the
trends in the US market. When I came across the CU program, I knew this opportunity could
further my knowledge in the lighting design industry and support my career goals. Being in this
program helped me attain my first job in the United States, and I currently work as a lighting
designer in Atlanta.”

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Born and raised in northern California, his biggest influence growing up was his father, a General
Contractor who owns his own business in Salinas. Naturally, Fernando grew up wanting to be just like his
dad and work in construction. But after working at Saro Construction for a few summers, Fernando
realized that construction work was challenging and perhaps wasn’t the best career path for him.
Instead, he decided to pursue a path that would allow him to work on buildings but in a less physically
demanding role, and he enrolled in architecture classes at Hartnell Community College. At age 20, his
growing expertise in drafting and CAD led to an opportunity to work as a part-time drafter for Aurum
Consulting Engineers in Monterey. That initial part-time job eventually led to full-time work, and after
several years with Aurum, he was promoted to the position of electrical designer. When Aurum saw
increasing opportunities to support their clients with lighting work, Fernando stepped up and enrolled in
the courses that comprise the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� Architectural Lighting Certificate program. The educational
experience provided a means for Fernando’s own professional development in parallel with Aurum’s
business growth.
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"I am excited to continue my professional growth through the CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� lighting education programs.
The financial award that was sponsored by a local lighting company made this opportunity possible for
me, and I am grateful to both Aurum and Associated Lighting Representatives for their support of my
participation."

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