WKU News

When Ellie Ralston left Clarksville, Tennessee, for Western Kentucky University, she knew exactly what she wanted to study. “I pretty much always knew, because WKU is a good distance from my parents’ house,” Ellie said. “I didn’t want to be too close to them, but I wanted to stay near. And also it has a pretty good architecture program, and I knew coming in architecture is definitely what I wanted to do—and there’s not a lot of opportunity for that in Tennessee.”

That certainty, however, came from an unexpected spark. “I thought I always wanted to do engineering. My dad’s an engineer,” she recalled. “We were just in the Lowe’s parking lot one day, and I said, ‘I don’t think I want to do engineering anymore.’ My mom said, ‘Well, have you ever considered architecture?’ I said, ‘No, I have not. So I’ll do that.’ It was just a split-second decision that has changed the course of my life.” 

Finding Her Foundation

Now a senior in WKU’s Architectural Science program, Ellie has experienced firsthand how demanding—and rewarding—the field can be. “I think there’s around 120 students per year, and we end up with about 20,” she said. “It’s a heavy workload, and there are a lot of things you have to get used to building up on freshman year that become a big part of your experience.”

Starting in the fall 2025 semester, Ellie is completing her senior seminar project, a culmination of everything she’s learned. “Architects come over from several states and view your work—it’s kind of a culmination of everything you’ve learned up until that point,” she explained. “For me right now, it takes about five to ten hours a week.” Her project? “A large-scale underground bunker,” she said with a grin. “It’s completely theoretical—our last opportunity to just have fun without being limited by budget or schedule. We’re able to showcase what we’ve learned in the past few years.”

From Studio to the Real World

Over the summer of 2025, Ellie interned at I.C. Thomasson and Associates in Nashville as a mechanical design intern. “It’s a consulting engineering firm, and I mainly completed duct layouts for hospitals,” she said. “I know if you’re reading it, it does not sound interesting at all, but I was very interested in the work I was doing.”

Though she’s an architectural science major, the engineering internship deepened her appreciation for collaboration. “Engineers and architects work so closely all throughout their career,” she explained. “It’s important to know how to communicate and what the other team needs. It was a very valuable experience.”

That experience also solidified her passion for healthcare architecture. “I think it’s a career that takes a lot of passion because of the amount of care that goes into it,” Ellie said. “It’s almost a form of anthropology—you understand people, you understand what they need in their spaces and how to make them comfortable. A hospital is kind of the epitome of that. To know how to make people feel better—it’s just what I want to do: express my love for people through design.”

Growing Beyond the Drafting Table

Beyond the design studio, Ellie serves as the treasurer of the Horticulture Club, a commitment that started her freshman year. “It’s something my roommates and I have been doing since freshman year, and we love it,” she said. “We take care of the campus greenhouse behind environmental science and technology (EST) building. It’s something I adore.”

The club’s focus on sustainability connects naturally with her architectural interests. “Hopefully I can go into something where sustainability is a factor, and I can channel both of these interests into one thing,” she said.

Lessons in Balance and Passion

As she prepares to graduate in May 2026, Ellie reflected on how she’s grown during her time at WKU. “Being able to handle a workload and balance your work and personal life—especially when they collide on a college campus—has been very challenging but something I’ll cherish forever,” she said.

For future architectural science students, Ellie offered heartfelt advice: “You need to be creative, and you need to have passion—but the passion is more important. The time commitment takes someone who is passionate about architecture. If you’re kind of on the edge of going into architecture, don’t.”

She also emphasized resilience. “Be able to take criticism—that’s a big part of architecture,” Ellie said. “Pretty much every week, people are going, ‘I do not like that,’ and you just have to be open to their criticism, because they’re trying to help you.”

Ultimately, Ellie’s perspective on her studies and internship comes down to people. “Maybe a big part of why I loved my internship so much is because I made friends there,” she reflected. “Anywhere you go, people are the most important thing. You should prioritize the people in your life to energize you and make your workplace a place where you want to be because of the people.”