Having been an IDP State Coordinator for nine months, I admit that my experiences in this capacity are limited. However, unlike many IDP Coordinators across the country, I have not only experienced the IDP process, but have dedicated a large part of my professional career contributing to (and hopefully improving) the discussions about architectural internship, locally and nationally. As an architectural intern in 1991, I experienced the internship process through the eyes of an architectural intern. Upon earning my license in 1996, I believed strongly that my experiences needed to be shared with those interns about to take on the same journey. But now, nearly at the end of my "young architect" stage and moving into an associate role in my office, I realize how much differently I see architectural internship now than the more seasoned practitioners and principals then. What has changed … and needs to continue to change?

Empathy. Mentoring. Or simply call it … caring. This may sound harsh to the elder generation of architects, but I believe this is actually a good sign. Many of those who have experienced architectural internship over the past two decades and have seen fluctuations in the economy, degree requirements, the A.R.E., salary/benefits, IDP, intern representation, collateral leadership, and the world in general, understand the incredible challenge it is to become a licensed architect. At one time, architectural internship was an individualistic effort - every man (or woman) for him/herself. Over the last several decades, with architectural apprenticeship turning into a more formal and organized training (IDP), the profession was trying to figure out the system, or … how to successfully implement it. This is no longer the case as the model has been around for 20 years and implemented in nearly 95% of the country. It is now the responsibility of those with the experiences of the last 20 years to understand the past and present internship challenges, yet refine and further develop the process of becoming an architect.

Deep down, architectural internship is not broken, nor does it need to be evaluated and revamped. My architectural internship, though certainly not perfect, allowed me to get the experience, knowledge and confidence I needed to stay passionate about architecture and become licensed. However, the process can be made better. Through the sharing of our collective professional (and personal) experiences will we be able to refine this process. Some of my proudest moments as an intern were when I knew I was contributing to the project team and receiving gratitude for my work. Today, far from my internship years, my proudest moments are when the interns in our office know they are contributing to the project team and receiving my gratitude for a job well done. My wish is that 10 years from now, those same interns will mentor the emerging professionals in the same way and want them to succeed. This internship conference is one of the best ways to pass the torch and keep that continuum moving.

Note: IDP Coordinators were asked to respond to a more specific question based on their unique experiences with the interns.