Lisha Skye Allison
Lisha is a full-time college student studying architectural landscaping in Reno, Nevada. She believes the fact architects have to think about everything when creating structures is fascinating and creates open-mindedness about every little detail you put into designing. Lisha is motivated to earn two associate degrees in architectural landscaping and Spanish. Lisha is extremely interested in learning other languages as well. Once she has completed both associate degrees, Lisha will proceed to the Bachelor of Architecture degree at Truckee Meadows Community College.
Grace Brooks
As Grace pursues her Master’s of Architecture at Yale University, she takes with her gratitude for the unique experience of growing up in the mountains of Northern Nevada. Architecture has taught her an understanding of our place within the built environment, but it is the skiing, hiking and camping of her youth in Nevada that laid the foundation for designing in conjunction with the natural environment. She sees architecture as not being about the walls we build but the stories we stage. She looks forward to starting a career governed by social equity and civic engagement. Using architecture as her vessel for making an impact, she hopes to contribute to the profession with an understanding that she may not be able to change the world, but she can change someone’s world.
Christine Edwards
New Mexico had been Christine’s home for much of her life, but she moved to Reno in 2019 with her partner who is from Nevada. She is the youngest of six and has always enjoyed drawing, building and creating. She attended New Mexico State University and graduated from the University of New Mexico with her first bachelor’s. In her youth, she pursued collegiate sports over degrees of study. However, she was fortunate that her high school offered three years of drafting and architectural drawing, sparking her passion for creating and drawing. Academics have always been a pursuit of hers, so she was very excited when she learned that Truckee Meadows Community College offered architecture classes and, even more so, that they were seeking accreditation for a bachelor’s degree. This opportunity has given Christine a chance to follow a dream that eluded her earlier in life. Although she has held many rewarding jobs, she has always felt they were not her true passion. She is hopeful that working in the field of architecture will allow her to combine her enjoyment of math and creative pursuits to contribute to a growing profession fulfilling a need in the Reno area.
John Finney
John was born and raised in southwestern Ohio. He is married and has three daughters. He was very skilled in high school in drafting and design courses but had no idea which direction he wanted to go in life. In his mind at the time, John did not see himself having real access to, or the ability to complete, a traditional university experience. In hindsight, that probably was not the case, but John joined the Navy out of high school and studied aviation electronics. After his stint in the military, he went on to work in the Gulf of Mexico as a commercial diver. Due to economic issues of the time, John went into construction later and became an electrical and general contractor. It was as a contractor that he found a renewed interest in design and architecture.
After leaving the firm, he found he had continued self-performing residential design and drafting services. When COVID hit, he was doing restaurant design which ended up being really bad timing. His family relocated to Reno in 2020 due to being evacuated by the fires. Later, John discovered the RD licensing requirements in Nevada and was told by the board that he would need one year of formal education to be able to take the test. This prompted him to join the program at Truckee Meadows Community College, where he later found out about the bachelor’s degree. Thanks to Kreg Mebust and his staff, John found himself driven to complete the program and go on to hopefully become a licensed architect, which he did not think would be possible 28+ years ago. He has an interest in combining his design ideas with modular building techniques to create great architecture that is efficient in manufacturing and energy. He appreciates all the support he has received from the local community and AIA members for his goals and education!
