Jordan Fredricksen ’24 is a second-year architecture student with a minor in collaborative innovation and interests in urban development and sustainability. During the summer of 2021, Fredricksen is working with SOMOS Ecuador Foundation to support the local governments in the coastal region of Ecuador, mainly those affected by the deadly earthquake in 2016. She will work with professional architects and government officials to update the city structures and to ensure the best quality of life for Ecuadorians. As an architecture and design student, Fredricksen enjoys working as an intern for this foundation because it allows her to study processes of urban development following natural disasters, giving her a broadened perspective on how Americans can grow their own communities as efficiently as possible. In addition to planning, Fredricksen also will work in public policy to promote the right to housing for Ecuadorians. Through communication with public officials and local residents, Fredricksen will be able to examine the importance of clarity between the government and its citizens. Moreover, this internship provides valuable skills in communicating with people across the world through virtual formats.
In the fall of 2021, Fredricksen plans to use her experience of developing tragedy-struck areas during her continued leadership role in Students of New Urbanism, a club that discusses theories of urban development. Here, Fredricksen and many other architecture students discuss ways of creating vibrant cities through the analysis of societies’ successful built environments and examination of vernacular architectural history. Additionally, Fredricksen looks forward to researching the inner workings of her own community of Austin to find faults in its growth, and work towards maintaining and building an urban landscape that functions well for all of its inhabitants.