A SUNY Orange success story

“It was unconventional. I did not choose the field of architecture, I found it, and thought, this is fascinating — I want to learn more about this,” said SUNY Orange alum, Cindy Maleike about her chosen field.

Some college students know what interests them and the major they want to study before they ever enroll in college. For Maleike, the path was different and continued to be non-traditional at each turn.

Arriving in New York at age 20 from Bogotá, Colombia, she worked various jobs before becoming employed by a Canadian contractor in 2010 who was behind the historic construction of the Freedom Tower.

“It was there I fell in love with architecture,” she said. “When the project was finished, I knew I wanted to learn more, including drawing plans.”

A series of events, including moving to the Middletown area with her husband, Matthew, led her to enroll at SUNY Orange. A recipient of the Konrad Von Appen scholarship, she joined the Architecture Club and served as the group’s treasurer, foreshadowing future involvement in extracurricular groups that supported her interests and role as a mentor.

She applied the same approach in the classroom as in life, if the answers were not immediately obvious or understood, research was needed and at a higher level of understanding enabling her to explain it to others not just to pass the next test.

A graduate of the 2016-17 Eleanor Roosevelt Community College Emerging Leaders Program, a yearlong initiative supported by the SUNY Orange Foundation that fosters self-discovery, skill development, experiential learning, and global citizenship, she continued to find opportunities outside of the classroom. Architecture professor Charles Passarotti nominated her to serve as student trustee for the 2017–18 academic year. She accepted, attended all board meetings and participated in the College Association Board meetings. She graduated as a Phi Theta Kappa member and recipient of a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Academic Achievement for Architecture. She also remains involved with the Association and made a conscious decision to stay in touch with Passarotti and professors Andrew Warren and Kathleen Rifkin as well as SUNY Orange President, Dr. Kristine Young.

“Dr. Young once told me I reminded her of President Abraham Lincoln in that he was a self-taught lawyer,” Maleike said. “I am very aware I only have an associate’s degree, but it has made me work twice as hard.”

While many in her position may opt for a higher degree, Maleike looked into the New York State licensure requirements including the work experience and hours needed by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

“The 3,740 hours are assigned across six divisions, and it is challenging to complete the breakdown in a timely manner based on the requirements in areas like project management,” she said.

She persisted through the challenge while working and sharing parenting responsibilities to her 18-month-old daughter.

“I would get up at 3:45 in the morning so I had time to study before starting the day,” she said. “I also needed to log work experience hours under a licensed architect as I already had some in construction. It took me seven years after graduation to work through everything — including three years to pass my six exams, but as of June this year, I am officially a licensed, registered architect.”

For both the opportunity to connect and help others, Maleike is actively involved in professional organizations including, Immigrant Architects Coalition (IAC), Arquitina, which specifically supports women/female Latinas in architecture and is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Westchester/Hudson Valley chapter as a member of the Emerging Professionals Committee and co-chair of the Latinos in Architecture committee. She also volunteers with the Junior Achievement of New York in K-12 schools by delivering financial literacy programs to underserved school districts in Orange and Rockland counties.

Having enrolled at the age of 28, Maleike’s success proves it is never too late to begin or continue college.

The SUNY Reconnect program supports adult learners ages 25 to 55 in eligible degree programs. Learn more at https://shorturl.at/teEwG.