Shanese, a Nashville native, has always gravitated towards utilizing her creativity in various forms of art, design, and outreach. Growing up she attended youth design camps including Design Your Neighborhood and during her higher education, along with a group of students, she helped revitalize the student chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS UTK) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Now Shanese focuses her passion for design, community advocacy, and equity at Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design as a Project Coordinator. Her work embodies the delicate intersection of storytelling and community advocacy through the built environment. When she is not training for her first half-marathon or studying for the AREs, you can find Shanese volunteering as Co-Director of Programming for Nashville Design Week and PR/Communications Chair for NOMA Nashville.
It has been my dream to attend Cornell so that I could one day become a humanitarian architect. My 3 years of work on my district’s Superintendent Student Advisory Board, founding of a community service club at my school, and time at both Rice’s and Cornell’s summer architecture programs solidified my passions. Tireless hours spent doing research, zealous networking with students and professionals, and the benevolence of those interested in me along my path have taught me invaluable lessons about life and how to achieve one’s dreams.
As a result, I owe it those experiences to be in the position I am today. I have been able to achieve my dream of being accepted into Cornell and now I am onto the next step on my path.
My passion to create better buildings for those who need it most, understand others so that I may help craft a more benevolent world, and design for the future are what drive me the most. I cannot thank the Architects Foundation enough for giving me the opportunity to continue to pursue my dreams.