The Tower Summer 2018 - 11

determine their proficiency with the firm's software. He's even
done a few stints as an adjunct faculty back at his alma mater.
"I think the best part about Sevens was that it really prepared
you and gave you a sense of everything the field has to offer," he
says. "We touched on everything-drafting, design history and
code analysis. It was a good eye opener for what we would face
when we graduated."
He describes the value of his Stevens degree as "fantastic," setting
him up for a career with no debt, and believes it can take him far
in the industry. "I'm one of the people who wants to push that
degree as far as I can take it. We have people here who all they
want to do is draft, and that's great. But me, I want to go farther
than just drafting."
Some grads, like Lisa Cowen, '00, become registered architects,
which today requires at least a five-year undergrad program or
a master's degree. Cowen spent seven years driving to Drexel
University twice a week before earning her license.
Her license, combined with her experience in corporate
architecture at Fulton Bank, makes her one of the firm's top
interior architects.
"I loved my two years at Stevens," she says. "We had such a great
class, and there was such support for each other. I've stayed
in touch with some of the people, and they're all in high-level
positions, I would say."
Samuel Betancourt is one of the younger employees at RLPS,
but he's already making a name for himself for his work in 3D
modeling.
"I work with people who get hired with five year degrees from
Penn State who know all the architectural stuff," he says. "But
when it comes to [Revit], there are just some things that they
can't do that I find easy and that I've done a million times before."
In addition to technical training, Stevens also changed his life.
"I would not have gone to college-at all-if it hadn't been for
the Stevens Grant," he admits. "I can't say enough about how
amazing that has been for me."
RLPS has grown by a third since moving into its new facility
almost five years ago, and it's hiring now. The partners say
Stevens will continue to be one of its top feeder schools.
"The bigger the projects that come through the office, the more
need we have for technically-trained people," Kimmel says.
"Beyond the skill set, their ability to work hard, to understand
what it means to work hard, to have a good head on their
shoulders so they have growth potential."
Dropik agrees. "The quality of the education-and the person-
is top notch. We've seen that consistently; that's the important
thing. It started with George Lower 40 years ago, we have
students from last year-and it's no different."
Summer 2018 11



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Tower Summer 2018

The Tower Summer 2018 - 1
The Tower Summer 2018 - 2
The Tower Summer 2018 - 3
The Tower Summer 2018 - 4
The Tower Summer 2018 - 5
The Tower Summer 2018 - 6
The Tower Summer 2018 - 7
The Tower Summer 2018 - 8
The Tower Summer 2018 - 9
The Tower Summer 2018 - 10
The Tower Summer 2018 - 11
The Tower Summer 2018 - 12
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The Tower Summer 2018 - 16
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/2022-annual-report
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/the-tower-annual-report
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Summer_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Summer_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Summer_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Winter_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/TheTowerSummer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/TheTowerWinter17
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/TowerFall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Winter2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/fall2015
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com