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Architecture major and summa cum laude graduate Emily Roos combined her love for creating with her interest in the built environment.

“Emily Roos is the kind of ENVD leader I think everyone strives to be. I remember going to some of the first ELP events and she was there with a huge smile and such a bright and positive attitude. Everyone wanted her help because her energy just rubbed off on you. Outside of ENVD, it was the exact same. She would always ask how you were, always try to plan stuff to do together, and always make you happy. I’m glad I got to spend one year with her, I know she’s going to do big things! I think if anyone can become half the kind of leader she was at ENVD, that’d be more than enough. I know I speak for so many when I say that!”  –Julia Rodriguez

“Emily was an amazing coordinator for the ELP program. She inspires all mentees and mentors through her encouraging demeanor and her upbeat personality. Each time I am around her I feel a bit more outgoing and ready to create a stronger community in ENVD. She will be heavily missed.”  –A�ԴDzԲ⳾�dzܲ�

“She has been the lead for ELP this last year redesigning mentorship in ENVD. Her constant optimism, positive energy, love for this community, and leadership will forever have a mark on this space.” –A�ԴDzԲ⳾�dzܲ�

“She is one person that always brings positive energy wherever she is and I believe she deserves to be recognized for all she has brought to the ENVD community.”  –A�ԴDzԲ⳾�dzܲ�

To my fellow graduates, congratulations! What an incredible accomplishment. I wish more than anything that I could hug you and celebrate with all of you. I have been constantly inspired by all of your hard work and your dedication to the passion for design you all possess. I will miss you all dearly. I am so excited to see where your passions take you, whether it be in a design profession or elsewhere. 

My experience in ENVD would not have been the same without all of you. My heart breaks into a million pieces knowing we're all leaving, but I am full of the sweetest memories of the sweetest people in ENVD. To the underclassmen in ENVD: I am envious of you! Enjoy it. Soak in everything that this experience offers you. Approach your work with joy! Take advantage of this beautiful gift. It goes by faster than you could imagine. 

What inspired you to come to ENVD? 
I actually started out at CU majoring in environmental studies, but as I learned more about sustainable cities and buildings, I decided to combine my love for creating with my interest in the built environment. ENVD was a perfect fit for me! I started by minoring in ENVD and then I made it my major halfway through my sophomore year. 

What do you think you will miss the most from your time at ENVD? 
The people! I already miss the familiar faces of friends, classmates, and ENVD faculty and staff. Environmental design became my home at CU! Everyone who was/is a part of the ENVD community knows the unique, family-like love we all have for each other. I will miss Pekoe runs with my studio friends during the lulls in morning studio, visiting Laurel and Marcus at the DMC, singing crazy songs with MJ, seeing Claudia's beautiful face in the mornings, and getting the best advice and encouragement from THE Dylan West. I'm going to miss the Emerging Leaders Program team, my friends from the Rome trip, and everyone else in ENVD who made my time at CU so precious. 

Favorite memory? 
How can I just pick one! Man, I think one of my favorite memories was from the Rome trip with [Assistant Clinical Professor] Marianne Holbert's study abroad program. We had one afternoon off and decided to go to the beach to spend some time relaxing after some crazy weeks of studio work and exploring the city. We got on this private beach by chance, swam in the sparkling Tyrrhenian Sea, listened to music, buried each other in the sand, and had the BEST time. After some time at the beach, we considered heading back to the city, when we noticed some funky people dressed in pretty wild outfits playing music and recording something. One of the main guys in the group came up to us, introduced himself, and asked us if we wanted to be in his music video. We, of course, said yes, and hung around as background dancers while Antonio recorded a very *interesting* music video. We could not stop laughing at each other and at the serendipitous moment! Now, we can all say that we are in a music video! All in all, it was a pretty hilarious break from studio work, and I never fail to laugh out loud when I think about it. (We have no idea what any of the lyrics mean...)

What are your plans beyond graduation? 
This summer I will be fundraising for my position at UCCS in the fall with The Navigators Collegiate Ministry, a Christian ministry that I was a part of my four years at CU. I will be doing an internship program called EDGE Corps with an amazing team in Colorado Springs. I am so excited to continue to invest in college students' lives. I eventually hope to get my M.Arch and practice architecture professionally. Whatever the future holds for me, design will always be a part of my life. ENVD has encouraged me to become a better student, teacher, advocate, and friend, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you all! I love you and I will miss you.