It seems like Myrisha Colston, Architectural Graduate, has worked here forever. Her smiling face has been a mainstay on the second floor for many years. Myrisha has interned or just helped around the office six or seven (who is really keeping track?) different stints through the years before graduating with her masters and landing at Schmidt Associates full-time.

 

Tell me about yourself.
Growing up, I was an army brat, moving several times before settling in Indianapolis when I was 10. I attended IPS and interned at Schmidt Associates as a junior at Arsenal Tech High School—which led to my career here. Coming from a large family, especially on my mother’s side, family has always been a key value in my life.  I am very close with my parents, my older sister, and my four God-siblings (2 boys and 2 girls).

I am currently engaged to be married in August. My fiancé, Cameo, and I dated from the age of 12 to 16, and then life took us separate ways for a while. We reconnected while I was in graduate school and here, we are today looking forward to starting our life together.

What inspires you?
Faith is my biggest inspiration, along with family. Without faith or my family, I would not have made it through school or where I am now.

What do you do in your free time?
I don’t really know how to sit down. I tend to say “yes” when asked to help, especially when it comes to my family. When I do sit down, though, I love spending time with family watching movies and playing games.

I also enjoy working with youth. When I entered architecture, I struggled with how it would help me give back. My past two years in graduate school, I participated in outreach and went into high schools and talked with youth about architecture. Additionally, I am serving as a mentor for a second-year architecture student at Ball State—offering feedback and advice as she takes her own journey through school.

Do you have a favorite vacation?
One of my favorite places was San Francisco; that is where I developed more of a love for nature and its peace and serenity. I loved being in the Redwood Forest. I also enjoyed my trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One of my favorite moments was zip lining in the Smoky Mountains.

Do you collect anything?
I have a collection of nutcrackers. When I was about 8, my parents bought me two nutcrackers for Christmas, and it has just continued from there. I think I have about 15 of them now, receiving one each year as a gift. I’ve decided to stop because I don’t want to have a room where I don’t want to go in due to all these wooden guys staring at me.

What’s one thing not everyone knows about you?
I am obsessed with budgeting! When I was growing up, I was always number-oriented, but the obsession has gotten really bad with the wedding planning. I love budgeting, from the excel document to putting in the formulas—everything!

 

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