Legally Blind Student Aims to Work in Architectural Technology

Samantha “Sammy” Holsinger may be legally blind, but that has not stopped her from pursuing a profession – architectural technology – that most people with her disability would not consider. She is particularly interested in eco-friendly, sustainable design.

Holsinger, the first recipient of the Frank L. Blum Construction Company Scholarship for the Construction Trades, is currently on disability, but looks forward to the not-too-distant future when she can support herself. She expects to graduate in May 2009 from Forsyth Technical Community College with an associate degree in architectural technology. She currently earns straight A’s in the program, which involves intensive use of AutoCAD software to produce three-dimensional images of a project.

Holsinger says she is grateful that the Blum Scholarship will help her achieve another goal – professional LEED accreditation (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a designation by the U.S. Green Building Council). “The Blum Scholarship will cover tuition and books, freeing up my funds to pay for the seminars, materials and testing that is required for accreditation,” she said. “I’d like to eventually be a LEED consultant. One of my dreams is to design an entire eco-friendly, self-sufficient community.”

The Frank L. Blum Construction Company Scholarship for the Construction Trades was established at Forsyth Tech in 2008 by Frank L. Blum Construction Company, a Triad commercial contractor, to celebrate its 85^th anniversary. One recipient will be designated each year; the scholarship will pay full tuition and fees through the duration of the program as long as the student maintains good academic standing. The company established a similar scholarship at Guilford Technical Community College, with the first recipient to be selected this semester.

“We wanted to give back to a community that has been so good to us since 1923, and we also wanted to contribute to the future of our industry,” said Drew Hancock, president of Blum Construction. “Because we are also a leader in sustainable building in the Triad, we were particularly intrigued by Sammy’s excitement and enthusiasm for LEED design and construction.” Blum Construction was the general contractor for Forsyth County’s first LEED-certified interior upfit (the Traders Row offices of Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects, PA and Cavanaugh & Associates) and the county’s first LEED-certified new construction (the new Family Services headquarters in the Southeast Gateway).

Holsinger said she liked the fact that “integrity and ethics” is the first of Blum Construction’s five official core values. “To me, ethics is being honest, doing your best – and even more if you can. It’s doing the right thing, and if you do mess up, telling the person immediately and making amends to the extent possible,” she said.

Creativity is apparently in Holsinger’s DNA. Her grandmother was a trained architect, except for taking the final exam, and designed her family’s adobe house in New Mexico, where Holsinger remembers playing as a young girl. Holsinger plans to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps by designing a house for herself and her fiancé as well.

Holsinger also holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in creative writing from St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, N.C. She still enjoys writing in her spare time and has written poetry and fiction. “I have things written, but not published – yet. I will one day,” Holsinger said. In the meantime, she is serving as president of the Forsyth Tech Writing Club, which meets on Wednesday nights at Chelsea’s coffee house. Meetings are open to the public, she was quick to add.

After graduation, Holsinger will be looking for employment, probably in a small, close-knit design firm where she can be mentored – ideally by someone who is also interested in eco-friendly projects. She is especially interested in designing residential and community buildings such as schools, churches, playgrounds and libraries.