Please join us in congratulating Eloisa McGill on completing his Architect Registration Exams and fulfilling the requirements to become a registered Texas Architect.
Q. Can you describe your journey to becoming a licensed Architect?
A. My licensure journey started in 2018 – right when the exam updated from version 4 to 5. I realized after failing three exams in a row that the study material packets were just 4.0 rearranged & didn’t really encompass the new exam format or material. So I paused & started gathering the books from the matrix in the guidebook – there are a lot. Then in 2020 I was finally ready to start studying again but covid created its chaos; I decided to wait it out, again, & see what would become the new normal. In 2021 I went to my first TX Architect Convention in San Antonio & decided I did not want to wait anymore. A month later, I passed my first one.
I think “Balance” in this case means you understand how to manage the expectations you put on yourself. Everyone wants to be one & done for the whole thing – that expectation takes a lot out of you when it doesn’t happen. Be kind to yourself – at least try to be. I wasn’t near the end, & my health declined because of it – I was so stressed out, I gained weight, I couldn’t sleep, & I’m positive this is where my few canas are from. I even sprouted a white eyelash!
The most memorable (albeit awful) moment was when I failed one of the exams for the 3rd time in a year. It was disappointing because it was the only one I had left so there was nothing else to move on to. I still had 2 years on my clock so I was mostly just annoyed & angry I’d have to wait 6 months to take it again. Then the clock was removed in Texas. That day I knew, even if I had to take this one single exam 12 more times, I was going to complete the ARE. My last exam, I had major technical issues half-way through & by the time I was finishing I had more, so I didn’t see the provisional score. I didn’t know I passed until 10 days later, the Sunday after the TX Architect convention in Houston – & I refreshed the page about 6 times before I grasped what I was reading. I was so relieved I’d finally passed; I think I left all my stress (and that white eyelash) in the hotel room.
Q. Now that you’re licensed what are your immediate professional goals?
A. For me, the license means becoming a partner at Fokus – something I did not expect. Several people I work with outside the firm, mostly contractors - are like “finally!” I think many of them believed in me more than I did – it’s quite humbling to know just how many of them are confident I’ll be good at this. It is both exciting & terrifying to be licensed. I feel ready some days, & then others I don’t – the impostor syndrome is real. I finally introduced myself to someone as an Architect the other day – my inside brain me’s were what I imagine Elle Woods felt like when she squeaks “we did it!” The new goal is to morph into a leader & hopefully a mentor – much like the ones I’ve had these 10 years. I’ve learned so much from every single person in the Fokus office – & I’m not done learning yet. The need for personal growth is inevitable now, so let’s see if I can properly fill these shoes – although I still prefer my tall boots.
This achievement marks a significant milestone in your professional career. Well done! We wish you the best of luck on your architectural journey that lies ahead.