Denver Chapter's Outreach to Knoxville CSI Student
Posted: Fri, Nov 15, 2024
By Angeline Guifarro, CSI Staff
When fourth-year UTK architecture student, Karina Kane, faced the challenge of outdated online images for her Denver-based project, she didn't let it hold her back. Karina, a part-time team member in the Kelso-Regen Associates mechanical engineering office and a dedicated CSI Knoxville student member, knew more accurate site data would make a world of difference. Taking a leap of faith, she reached out to the Denver CSI Chapter, sharing her journey with CSI and how its network of professionals had been a guiding force in her career.
My name is Karina Kane, I am a fourth-year architecture student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a student member of the CSI Knoxville Chapter. Being a part of CSI has been one of the greatest decisions in my life. The people I have been connected with, by being involved with the Knoxville, Nashville, and even Chattanooga chapters have taught me so much valuable information that I will carry with me for the rest of my career. When I first got involved, the CSI community welcomed me with open arms. Now, they have made a wonderful effort to help me grow in this profession by teaching me from their own experiences. I have to say, this community has the most hard-working, passionate, caring, intelligent, and creative people I've ever met and I am so honored to be part of CSI.
With CSI being such a compassionate organization, I am reaching out about a potential sponsorship through the Denver, CO Chapter for a one-day site visit located at 1338 N Emerson St, Denver, CO, 80218. This site visit would be for an integration school project (a project for fourth-year students only) which I am tackling this semester through the College of Architecture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Not only would visiting the site help to provide critical information including photos and written accounts, but having that contextual experience will give me a leg up in the project that is being submitted to a national competition (brief attached below). I was just presented the brief yesterday, with the final project for class due before Thanksgiving, November 20th specifically, meaning visiting the site would have to occur in the next month. I truly appreciate what CSI has been able to do for me and how beneficial being a part of the organization is to my career. If possible, working out a date to visit the site and meet you with the Denver, CO Chapter, would be more than awesome!
Thank you so much and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Her message captured the attention of Denver's CSI board. So much so that, in less than a day, the board agreed to sponsor her travel and provide her a guest room for her time in Denver. She received a tour of the project site, invaluable for gathering the insights and context she needs to excel in her project as a college senior. Karina's outreach also sparked a unique opportunity to connect with Denver CSI members, who were eager to share their expertise and experiences with this a young professional.
Karina's initiative and CSI's response are a testament to the power of community, mentorship, and a shared passion for the design and construction fields. Her trip highlights not just the support of CSI, but the collaborative spirit that drives us all forward.
