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Congratulations to Hana Nguyenky, CDT®, of VMDOArchitects, who earned her CCS® and CCCA® during the recent certification window. Here, Hana shares what led her to a career in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry, and how she was able to earn two new certifications at once. |
Please share a little about yourself and why you have chosen to work in the AECO industry?
I grew up in a household of immigrants as the eldest child. Neither of my parents finished their schooling career. My mother left high school to work and help provide for her family. She came to America with no knowledge of English and built a career as a manicurist, paid at a split commission rate. Amid his college career, my father became a war refugee in Norway due to the Vietnam War. He worked in the sign construction industry until I was nine, then he was forced to retire for medical restrictions. My mother became the sole income provider for our family of four. They’ve both struggled to get to where they were and are today. Due to their struggles, they were very adamant that I end up better in life than they did. They’ve always placed a strong emphasis on attending school, doing well in school, and obtaining a college degree that will lead to a salary paying career.
As the eldest, I had no map to a successful life. I’m the first in my family to have completed school, and every step of the way, I was tripping and learning from trial and error. I had to learn fast, learn better, and do better. There was no way my family could afford my college career. I knew from the beginning that going to college would mean pulling student loans in both my and my parents’ name. Between that cost, the rising costs of living expenses, and my parents’ idea of a successful life, they were very clear on what kind of career I should pursue. Or better said, what kind of career I shouldn’t pursue: none related to arts, language arts, business, or hospitality. So of course, my career path led to architecture and design; they would’ve balked if they knew back then what a career in architecture meant.
Actually, I didn't know what a career in architecture really meant but I was drawn to the fundamental elements of merging science and art to change the way people interact with the world. So, I pursued a Bachelor of Architecture at Woodbury University in Burbank, Calif.
Architecture school was challenging. It made me rethink how I approached my schooling and learning. It made me learn more about how I saw the world and how I could learn to observe the world. It made me notice and question everything. The more I learned, the more I struggled, but also the more I realized what I truly wanted out of my career—and what I really didn’t want out of my career. In my time at Woodbury University, I focused a lot on the process of making and the people I design for, both of which highly influence my design thinking. I also rekindled my interest in materials and so I chose to pursue a Master of Science in Architecture Design and Research at the University of Michigan. My time at Michigan focused on learning through making and the tools available for making. That focus propelled my desire for knowledge into a new avenue.
I’ve learned in the recent years that the intersections of architecture, construction, and research are where I truly belong. My interests and goals from childhood, my years of schooling, and my dreams for the future have all led me to be where I am today.
You already had the CDT certification--what is it about earning the CCS and CCCA that appealed to you?
I’m of the opinion that architecture school intended to teach design thinking. The practical application and implementation of design thinking didn’t happen until professional practice. My undergraduate studio course for Design Build came the closest. When I entered the professional world, I was a nervous wreck. I had gained some confidence in graduate school but still felt that I was not a competitive entry-level designer. That fear of not performing enough pushed me to investigate ways to gain more professional knowledge for immediate execution. That drive for more knowledge led me to pursue my CDT. The CDT not only built up my knowledge basis but also my professional confidence, and the confidence of my co-workers in me. The CDT showed that I was willing to pursue knowledge on my own terms and that I was serious in wanting to learn more, to do more.
That line of thinking inspired me to then pursue the CCCA and CCS. I wanted to know more and demonstrate to others that I took my knowledge and skillset seriously, so that they could in turn be serious with me. I’m young; I have a lot of knowledge I want to obtain, and goals I want to see through. In order to accomplish that, I need to go after the opportunities for improvement when I can and place myself in a position for success. I consider the CSI certifications baseline knowledge that those in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry should achieve, to be on the same level of understanding and meet the same expectations. Certifications are another avenue for communication across different disciplines. It’s a way to improve not just yourself and your knowledge, but also the work and practice you do with others.
My professional career is also different in that my first project assignment was to assist in the construction administration of a middle school renovations and addition over a period of 18 months. I became familiar with construction drawings and specifications through their execution. That experience made pursuing the CDT and CCCA easier as the information was all familiar with me. The experience also made me a better, more informed designer once I started spending more time in construction documentation. Due to my interest in specifications, and my firm’s willingness to support me, I was able to pursue more time in reviewing specifications and construction contracts. That extra exposure to someone of my experience level really helped with studying for the CCS. I admittedly overestimated how much information I could learn in a short period of time and didn’t pass the CCS the first try. I spent the time between testing cycles slowing down and diving more carefully into specifications.
Do you have any insight and tips to share about how you studied for both these certifications at the same time?
I learn best by application and implementation. In terms of actual book studying, I didn’t do more than reading and highlighting notes within the practice guides for the CCCA and CCS. If you know the content, you know the exam. If you’ve experienced the content, or have been actively exposed to the content, then you are already passively studying and learning. If something is of interest to you, you will put more time and effort into learning and remembering it at the subconscious level, and actively engage in it on the conscious level. My recommendation is to recognize what information you are taking in for yourself, and what information you are taking in for the exams. Learning for knowledge is honestly not the same as learning for an exam. You can study by areas of strength and struggles, or you can study by interest and necessity. If you look at the information as avenues for improvement and implementation, the exams become more obtainable. They become knowledge you want and information you need.
How did your professional and personal community support you?
If you want something, ask for it, and show that you are willing to work to attain it. When I realized that I enjoyed construction administration, I shared it with my co-workers. I told them I was working towards my CDT, and that I have a strong interest in specifications. I asked to be more exposed to that aspect of design work, and they listened. My firm, VMDO Architects, has always been a great supporter of me and my career. They took a chance when they hired me—a fresh graduate with no work experience—and gave me the task of assisting with construction administration. It was “an experiment,” in their words, on what starting a young designer in the construction phase of a project instead of the design and documentation phases will do for their career growth. Their faith in me and my work really helped build my professional confidence and created more opportunities for growth and success. I like to think their risk and investment in me is paying off.
How do you expect these certifications—and the knowledge that comes with earning them--will impact your career?
I’ve come to understand that I love to know stuff. I love to read and learn for the enjoyment of knowing more. This love for knowledge is not limited to professional career and industry knowledge, though the more immediate drivers in my life are career oriented. Now that I’ve obtained certifications showing that I have the baseline knowledge and am capable of achieving knowledge, I’d like to continue to not only build upon that knowledge, but also implement it and pass it on. At the time of writing this, I’ve taken and passed three of my six architecture registration exams. Once I’ve successfully become a licensed architect, I’d like to volunteer my time to teaching others.
One of my life goals is to make knowledge more accessible, to those who want it and to those who may not know they want it. In the near future, I’d like to teach at various levels, courses on the CDT, and perhaps different processes of making. A near future goal of mine is to do research. I still greatly enjoy the experimentation and development process of ideas. As I gain more practical experience, I want to conduct informed research that will in turn inform my practice. Both goals relate to my encompassing goal of acquiring and applying knowledge.
My current and main volunteer work with the virtual networking platform Emerge AEC is one way I’m achieving this goal. I’ve unconsciously dubbed myself the Collector of Knowledge for this group, which is focuses on improving communication between emerging professionals in this industry. The work I’m doing with Emerge AEC has given me access and ability to share knowledge in ways I didn’t think I’d be able to do so, this early in my career.
What are the next goals in your career?
I’m a nerd, one with many interests and a desire to know as many things as possible. I want to be involved in work that will prepare, provide for, and help in nurturing the next generation. My greatest passion is knowledge, and the work I practice and the skillset I’m building all stem from that passion. To summarize myself in three words: dreamer, maker, and thinker. Three things that I endeavor to accomplish in my life are to investigate, innovate, and inspire. My three CSI certifications are just another way for me to meet my aspirations.
Join your peers and take your professional game to a whole new level. Learn more about CSI certifications today.