What does luck and an evening shooting pool have to do with architecture?

Thanks for the question about how I chose to be an architect. The answer is being in the right place, a little bit of luck, and recognizing a chance to make a life changing decision.
I always wanted to be an architect. I wanted to build things: houses, churches, bridges. Cool stuff. I was good with my hands, could build or fix just about anything and had a knack for seeing things in ways other people didn’t. In high school a guidance counselor encouraged me to pursue engineering a more lucrative option.

So while engineering was not my first choice, it was the choice I followed. This wasn’t a great match. Not that I didn’t have the ability, I did. Not seeing eye-to-eye with the college Dean regarding GPA’s or lack there of it was decided that engineering wasn’t the right choice.

No more classes, I was going into carpentry. I went to shoot pool to pass some time and as luck would have it, the place was empty, except for one man. He offered to teach me billiards and I accepted. Over the course of the next 2 hours, we talked. We talked about college. We talked about billiards. We talked about carpentry. We talked about buildings. His name was Dr. Kim. I figured he was a surgeon. As we were leaving he handed me his card and asked that I come see him in the next few days. Later when I really looked at his card I discovered he was not a medical doctor but held a PhD in Architecture. By the time I visited him, he had pulled all my transcripts, filled out the paperwork, and wrote a letter of recommendation for my transfer into the College of Fine and Applied Arts, School of Architecture. Based on his recommendation I would be admitted… if I wanted. I accepted.