My name is Reniqua (Reni) Brown. I am a 26-year-old African American woman, a single mother, the oldest of six children, a first-generation college student, and a future architect. All of these identities shape the way I move through the world—and make me different in ways I’ve come to embrace. For a long time, being “different” made me feel like I didn’t belong in certain spaces. Now, I realize that those very differences are my power. I am someone who lives unapologetically in my truth. I’m a woman who paints, writes, mothers, studies, leads, and dreams—sometimes all in the same day. I didn’t take the traditional path to college. I started with a Criminal Justice degree and later shifted to Architecture Technology, combining my love of art, structure, and service. I may not always have the loudest voice in the room, but I have one of the most intentional. My story, my background, and my desire to give back are not side notes—they are the foundation of my purpose. What makes me different is not just what I’ve been through, but how I choose to use it. I’ve lived through financial hardship, instability, and self-doubt, and I’ve still shown up with kindness and determination. I mentor younger students in my program, support my younger siblings as a big sister and role model, and even help peers through my role as Managing Editor of the college newspaper. Even when I don’t feel like I have it all together, I still choose to lead with honesty and show up for those who may be watching. I’ve come to realize that someone is always watching, especially when you don’t notice. It might be my daughter, who sees me studying late at night while she sleeps, learning what it means to work hard. It might be one of my younger siblings, who is trying to figure out their own next step and sees me refusing to give up. Or maybe it’s a classmate who hears me talk about sustainable housing or sees me advocating for inclusive design, and begins to think differently about their own goals. I may never know how my presence affects someone else, but I carry myself with the understanding that impact doesn’t require permission—it just needs authenticity. In the past five years, I’ve been involved in both formal and informal community service. I’ve helped organize wellness and art activities at my college, offered peer tutoring, participated in local outreach for student parents, and consistently supported my family and community through acts of service. Whether it’s helping a friend find resources, guiding a fellow student through an application process, or simply listening without judgment, I know service isn’t always about big, public acts—it’s about consistently showing up in meaningful, everyday ways. I use my uniqueness as a bridge. I understand what it means to feel unseen, and so I make it a point to see others. I know what it means to feel like your story doesn’t “fit,” so I help others write new narratives for themselves. I don’t pretend to be perfect—I aim to be present, compassionate, and real. To be unapologetically myself is to live in bold honesty, to serve others without needing recognition, and to keep reaching higher, knowing that someone else might be finding strength in my example. That is how I honor myself, my ancestors, and those who are quietly watching—whether I ever meet them or not.

Hello, my name is Reniqua (Reni) Brown, and I am a 26-year-old African American woman, artist, student, and mother pursuing a degree in Architecture Technology at Milwaukee Area Technical College. I’ve taken a unique path to this career, from a Criminal Justice associate’s degree to discovering my love for sustainable design; but, every step has helped me grow into the designer I want to become. I am honored to apply for the Luminaut Scholarship and to share how I will embody the values of being humble yet hungry, focused yet fun, super yet human as I step into the world of architecture. Humble Yet Hungry Growing up as the oldest of six children in a single-parent household taught me humility early on. I’ve seen what it means to struggle and what it takes to survive. I know that no success is achieved alone, and I carry that understanding into everything I do. At the same time, I’m hungry. I want to learn. I want to build. I want to create real change. I’m not just interested in being a great architect—I want to use architecture as a tool for equity, healing, and resilience. My dream is to build and restore affordable housing in underdeveloped communities, incorporating eco-friendly materials and climate-resilient design. I don’t want the spotlight; I want to be useful. My hunger is about purpose, not ego. Focused Yet Fun Balancing school, parenting, and working on campus isn’t easy, but I do it because I know what I’m working toward. My education is my blueprint for the future. I stay focused because I see architecture not just as a career, but as a calling. At the same time, I bring creativity and joy into my work. I am an artist; I paint, I write, I dream. I’ve learned to blend technical skills with imagination, and I believe that design should feel alive. Whether I’m designing a structure or leading the student newspaper as Managing Editor, I always try to create space for fun, growth, and expression. That balance is what keeps me grounded. Super Yet Human I am proud of how much I’ve accomplished, but I’m also honest about how hard it is. I’ve been through burnout, self-doubt, and financial challenges. I’ve questioned whether I was doing enough, being enough. But through it all, I’ve kept going; not because I’m “superhuman,” but because I’ve learned how to rest, reflect, and rebuild. I believe being “super” means showing up even when things are hard, and being “human” means knowing when to breathe. I want to bring this mindset into the industry. Not just as a designer but as someone who advocates for wellness, support, and inclusion in professional spaces. Why It Matters As a queer Black woman in STEM, I carry the legacy of those who came before me, women like Sallie Rowland; who broke barriers and made space where there was none. I want to continue that work, not just by designing buildings, but by designing better futures. I want little girls like my daughter to see themselves in this field, to know that they belong. I hope to one day start my own organization focused on rebuilding communities through architecture, training the next generation of diverse designers and giving back in every way I can. To embody the Luminaut values is to lead with purpose, work with passion, and never forget where you came from. It’s not about perfection, it’s about persistence, community, and vision. That is the kind of architect I am becoming. That is the kind of future I am building.

Hello, my name is Reniqua (Reni) Brown. I am a 26-year-old single mother and oldest daughter of six. I mention these qualities of myself to explain one of my reasons for gaining higher education and obtaining a better living. I don’t wish to be a role model per se, but what I do want to do is show my family and especially my daughter that you can learn and be great. My favorite quote is “knowledge, is power, is time, is money" by Robert Thier in “The Eye of the Storm”. I truly believe that knowledge is power, and that with the power of knowledge there is no limit to what you can do in a world that puts many limitations on women. I love to learn, and being able to do it with the help of scholarships and funding ensures that I don’t feel like I'm drawing in bills. Growing up my mom had a really hard time. She had six kids to raise alone and sometimes it always felt like the world was laughing at us. We struggled, survived and when our footing seemed to be getting stable, we would fall all over again. It could be devastating and hard. I learned many things from her. I learned to always keep going, but if you feel you can't; it is ok not to always be ok. Breath, and reflect. I learned reflection is a key part of life. I do not doubt that I will be great someday. I will because I have to. I will give my daughter an opportunity. I am very excited to tell you about my current goals and future endeavors. For this I will again introduce myself. Hello, my name is Reni Brown. I am a 26-year-old African American woman in STEM. My goal wasn’t always to go into STEM. I intended to become a paralegal, so I got my associate's degree in criminal justice. After getting my degree I was looking into what I wanted to do next, and I realized that I could do more. Architecture combined two things I loved: art and culture. Now I am pursuing a degree in Architecture Technology at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). For my “big picture” goal, I hope to one day be able to build and restore sustainable and economical housing in underdeveloped and underfunded places. I once saw a video about how so many people make fun of African cities because they “live in huts” or things like that. What those people don’t understand is how brilliant it is to build your home with the materials around you. These are climate-resilient, affordable buildings. My goal is to expand that so that maybe we can create materials out of current “unusable” waste. This will hopefully be good for the people and the environment. I also hope to be a part of future disaster relief, restoring and remodeling homes for people getting their life back together after disaster. This goal is not limited to The United States; however, I do intend to start here. Many people have thought of this idea. I am not trying to be different; I simply want to be useful. The “American Dream” isn’t necessarily what I am going for, I just want to instill in the people around me most especially my daughter; that if you want to be a lawyer, do it. If you want to be an astrophysicist, do it. If you want to be a painter, a writer, a singer, even a couch potato; do it. Do what you dream, do what you want and if your dream changes, change with it. It’s the best part about success. Having a dream, a goal, a plan and then finally saying, “I did it”.

What is a legacy? The long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life: When I think of the word legacy I think of footsteps, I think of every movie that says, “these are some big shoes to fill”. I also think of my legacy, the one I would leave behind. My family is great, my grandparents and my mom always tried their best, but their legacy for me was simply the stubborn belief that I can achieve my goals. I think that is why I work hard; so, I can leave behind more than memories. I am always hoping that one day I will make an impact on the world and by doing so I can encourage my family to also be great and whatever way they wish to be. As a mother I think of impact, tradition, and legacy a lot. What decisions am I making that will affect my daughter? What will my younger siblings remember the most and am I being a good role model for their future. I don’t think I want to be a role model per se, just impactful and heard. Thinking of my siblings and daughter “modeling” their life after me seems daunting. It's a lot of pressure for someone still getting their life together. Growing up my mom had a really hard time. She had six kids to raise alone and sometimes it always felt like the world was laughing at us. We struggled, survived and when our footing seemed to be getting stable, we would fall all over again. It could be devastating and hard. As the oldest it was my responsibility to help, the problem is I constantly lived in my head and in a book. I often escaped reality through reading, and writing. This meant that again my mom was on her own, but she did it. She wasn’t perfect, which is good. Striving to be perfect I like running in an endless hallway and telling yourself that you're almost at the end. My mom always got through most situations and made sure that her kids were ok. I learned to always keep going, but it's that it is ok not to always be ok. I do not doubt that I will be great someday. I will because I have to. I will give my family a legacy and opportunities.

Hello, my name is Reniqua (Reni) Brown. I am a 26-year-old African American woman in STEM. My goal wasn’t always to go into STEM. I intended to become a paralegal, so I got my associate's degree in criminal justice. After getting my degree I was looking into what I wanted to do next, and I realized that I could do more. Architecture combined two things I loved: art and culture. Now I am pursuing a degree in Architecture Technology at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). I don’t believe my criminal justice degree will go to waste. Having knowledge of the system and how to find information will be helpful when doing things like finding city codes and regulations. I also have the option of becoming a Legal Assistant specifically for architecture firms. I am very excited to tell you about my current goals and future endeavors. For my “big picture” goal, I hope to one day be able to build and restore sustainable and economical housing in underdeveloped and underfunded places. I once saw a video about how so many people make fun of African cities because they “live in huts” or things like that. What those people don’t understand is how brilliant it is to build your home with the materials around you. These are climate-resilient, affordable buildings. My goal is to expand that so that maybe we can create materials out of current “unusable” waste. This will hopefully be good for the people and the environment. I also hope to be a part of future disaster relief, restoring and remodeling homes for people getting their life back together after disaster. This goal is not limited to The United States; however, I do intend to start here. Many people have thought of this idea. I am not trying to be different; I simply want to be useful. If I am being honest, I don’t know what big impact I will have on STEM specifically. I do hope to one day be a name people mention when talking about a role model for not only women in STEM: but African American, Queer, women in STEM. I want to learn, create, and explore. I know the impact I want to make on the world and can only hope that it will inspire others to want to do the same. I do know that STEM is considered “mans” filled, and as I accomplish my goals, I would like to think I am putting a dent in the hole that many women before me created by being brilliant women in STEM

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a very daunting idea, if you think too hard about what its creation actually entails. I haven't spent much time thinking about how AI is made and all the functions. As we know AI can be used in almost every field to do many different things. The exposure I have had of AI is mostly due to my architecture technology degree and the everyday help that AI gives us like research and Q/A chats. I believe for my degree I am going to use a lot of AI apps like revit and CADD to model and build. I have been told multiple times (by my professors) about having to hand draft buildings and plans instead of using technology to input information and having the computer 3D build your model from your information. AI has already been beneficial with 3D modeling and letting viewers virtually walk through homes. An important part of every build is time, having AI has saved lots of time in the drafting, modeling process. I have also been teaching myself to code recently using sites like Codecademy and google. I have been looking into app making and website building. I know there are some sites that have you put in the information and Ai will build the website for you. I really want to use AI to build an immersive pet game. My goal is to make it so that you feel like you truly have a pet that you are taking care of with all the responsibility. You will be able to walk it, feed it, and play with it. Recently I have seen some apps come out that are getting closer to what I want in the market. I have seen an app where you can have a pet with a friend and take care of them. As for my career goals with AI, I have touched on it a little. The more advanced the technology the better the information we are able to produce for clients. While I do not think we should replace builders and workers with AI I do believe we will soon have more help and more problems to solve, which brings more jobs. As my professor says, the more technology the more work and responsibility. I am excited to learn more about AI and apply them in both my academic career and my personal goals.