Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
The Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science (TSACS) celebrated high school student achievement Friday at a ceremony capping off its Pathways in Architecture, Construction, and Technology (PACT) program. The two-week residential camp welcomed 15 high school students – sophomores to seniors -- to Tuskegee’s campus in an immersive learning experience in the fundamentals of architecture, construction, and emerging design technologies.
The PACT experience included access to drone and virtual reality technology to understand how buildings are constructed, to build sketches by hand and through 3D technology, and to enjoy off-site field trips to construction sites and architecture firms for one-on-one interaction with the professionals that the students might be one day.
“Learning is everything but experience is more,” said Dr. Carla Robinson, TSCAS Assistant Professor. She commended the students on their attention to detail, teamwork and critical thinking skills as they tackled their assignments – including a challenge from professors to create safe, livable, functioning space, similar to a tiny home, made from a 20x8 shipping container to be located on land at nearby Lake Tuskegee.
During the ceremony, students presented their work to an audience of proud parents and Tuskegee faculty and staff, including four designated camp counselors.
Organized into groups of three during camp, each team outlined their vision for the space, including taking advantage of natural light and movement of the sun through window placement, maximizing views of the lake, and office, storage and garage options.
Led by Dr. Mostafa Alani, Associate Professor and Dr. Rogers Hunt III, Associate Professor, PACT exemplifies key tenants of Tuskegee’s Renaissance Era – especially its focus on providing students with experiential learning through internship as early as possible to increase global workforce readiness and Tuskegee’s commitment to honoring the masterfully designed historical architecture on the campus while renovating many spaces to meet modern demands.
Kyleigh Jacks, a senior at Booker T. Washington High School in Tuskegee learned of the program during her recent participation in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund SOAR program, which brings rising high school seniors to HBCUs to expose them to the unique academic opportunities of 16 campuses.
“While I was visiting Tuskegee with SOAR, we visited the School of Architecture and this work was really interesting to me,” said Jacks, who then reached out to Tuskegee counselors to learn more. She was invited to join PACT and quickly became a member of the Group three cohort working with other high schoolers from around the country.
“I’ve learned so much that I am now considering Tuskegee to pursue majoring in Architecture with a minor in graphic design,” she said.
For Aedon Linton, his start date as a Golden Tiger is set. He will join the Tuskegee Class of 2030 as a freshman this fall.
“I am really looking forward to the opportunity to pursue my education at Tuskegee,” said the recent graduate of Brookwood High School in the Atlanta area. Linton’s mother noted that because of his talent for drawing, she floated the idea of becoming an architect to her youngest son. Linton said being at PACT and learning about the rich architectural legacy of the campus cemented his decision.
“My first day was the best, when we learned so much about the history of Tuskegee – especially the history of the Chapel, built brick by brick by students, and all the efforts to rebuild it after it was destroyed by fire.”
The original chapel was built between 1896 and 1898 but almost entirely by students who produced 1,200,000 bricks from red clay on campus. It was designed by Robert R. Taylor, director of Tuskegee Institute’s Department of Mechanical Industries and the first African-American graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was destroyed by fire in 1957 and later restored and reopened in 1969.
Linton was particularly struck by one famous fact he learned about the reimagined chapel: its unique and distinguishable design which has no right angles, a deliberate modernist choice that gives it a fluid, dynamic form and is studied by architecture students across the country.
As the PACT program continues to grow, Tuskegee University remains committed to nurturing the next generation of architects, engineers, and construction professionals by combining tradition, innovation, and hands-on learning.
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