Finding community and a whole new field

When Audrey Brecher was searching for colleges, they did what any devoted reader might do: they Googled “top colleges that look like Hogwarts.” Mount Holyoke made the list.

“I’m a huge book nerd,” they said. “I’ve always dreamed of going to a very academic-looking institution. When I visited [Mount Holyoke], it was gorgeous.”

Fittingly, Brecher is now an architecture major — but Mount Holyoke’s aesthetics was only part of the appeal. Applying from California, Brecher knew they wanted a small liberal arts college on the East Coast with strong science programs.

“Mount Holyoke has a really robust sciences program, which is pretty unusual for a liberal arts college,” Brecher said.

Planning to major in environmental studies, architecture wasn’t initially on their radar. In fact, they had largely ruled it out, assuming the field was too focused on math and physics — areas they didn’t consider strengths.

That perception changed after they enrolled in an introductory architecture course as a prerequisite for a sustainable design class.

“It completely changed how I thought about architecture,” Brecher said. “There are parts that are more math- and physics-heavy, but a lot of it is about creativity and design.”

Encouraged by that experience — and by mentorship from Naomi Darling, who later became their advisor — Brecher shifted academic focus. Today, they are an architectural studies major with a minor in environmental studies — a combination that reflects their concentration on sustainable design and its relationship between built and natural environments.

“Every project I do centers around sustainability,” they said. “I’m really interested in the connection between interior and exterior, and in creating spaces that let the outside in.”

Outside the classroom, Brecher found community through the Five College Consortium. They are a member of the UMass Amherst band, where they spend afternoons and weekends in the Color Guard. It’s a role that blends artistry, movement and visual storytelling. Through rehearsals and performances, they formed tight friendships across campuses and found an outlet that complements their academic work.

“It unlocks a completely different part of my brain,” they said. “It’s a nonacademic side of me that really needs nurturing.”

Nurturing has played a central role throughout Brecher’s time at Mount Holyoke. In addition to Darling’s guidance, they credit staff at the Miller Worley Center for the Environment with supporting their growth through a fellowship during sophomore year. In the role, Brecher designed an environmental stewardship plan for a larger Mount Holyoke campus master plan, presenting work at the Feminist Leadership in Climate Justice 2025 conference.

Entrusted with this large-scale project, faculty members ultimately encouraged Brecher to continue their education, even when Brecher felt uncertain about the next step.

“Visiting structural engineering professor Sanjay Arwade pushed me to apply to graduate school,” they said. “Even though we only knew each other for one semester, his mentorship was incredibly valuable.”

Meanwhile, Darling painstakingly edited every application, despite being on sabbatical.

As graduation approaches, Brecher awaits decisions from several master’s programs in architecture, primarily in large cities in the Northeast and California. Their applications include a portfolio chronicling their sophistication as a designer, from early coursework to recent projects.

“It shows my concepts, the design and the final product,” they said. “It really shows my development as a designer.”

Looking back, Brecher sees Mount Holyoke as a place that encouraged evolution academically and personally.

“I truly believe I would not have entered the field of architecture if I hadn’t gone to MHC,” they said. “Not only could I take an introductory course in an area that wasn’t my intended major, but I was continuously supported in a way that made me feel there was a place for me in the profession.”