Remember what it’s like to be the new person in the office? Both Haley Loram and I – Erik Kojola – joined the Collaborative through a post-graduate service program called the Philly Fellows – check out this recent Inquirer article on Philly Fellows. I’ll be taking on Haley’s job as Communications Associate and the work of publicizing and documenting the Collaborative’s work. Haley will transition into her new role as Program Assistant, managing the creation of the Collaborative’s new database and conducting program evaluation. Haley and I sat down recently to compare notes and introduce ourselves to you.
So, where are you from? Erik: I was born in Kansas City, Missouri. When I was four, my family moved to Silver Spring, MD. For college I went to Oberlin, out in the cornfields of Ohio. So, growing up, I spent a lot of time in suburban areas, and some in small towns, and I had a kind of spectator interest in urban areas, so I'm now really looking forward to exploring Philadelphia. Haley: I was born in San Francisco but moved to Ashland, Oregon when I was six. I pretty much grew up in the sticks outside of a small town. Basically, if you hear on the news that there are forest fires in Oregon, that’s where I’m from. I then ended up on the East Coast because I went to Swarthmore College.
How did you end up at the Collaborative? Erik: I got interested in architecture when I studied ecological design in London. I started thinking about the relationship between the built environment, people, and the natural environment. After that, I took a class on architectural history which related architecture to broader issues of social justice. So, when I saw the Collaborative, I thought, “Cool!” It was an opportunity to pursue what had been a side interest and a chance to expand my writing skills. Haley: During the Philly Fellows placement process, Tim Ifill (Philly Fellows Executive Director) suggested that I consider the Collaborative. Beth Miller got me interested by describing the Fellow’s role as telling the Collaborative’s story. I saw working at the Collaborative as an opportunity to combine my interests in journalism and community work.
Do your career plans involve design? Erik: Yeah, I could see myself doing an interdisciplinary program in urban studies for graduate school. I don’t have a design brain, but it could inform my main interest, sociology, since the built environment affects so much of our experience. Haley: Well, I don’t really think about problems visually, but based on my experience this past year I will advocate for design and a thorough planning process in whatever field I go into- probably public policy. I see design as connected to thoughtful planning and good stewardship of resources.
How do you like Philly? Erik: I really like Philly, it has tremendous character, lots of hidden surprises. There’s so much going on and it’s not overwhelming, but at the same time it seems like there’s a lot of boundaries and conflict. The city can feel small, but that’s only because it’s easy to live your life in a small section of it. Haley: Philly has been very good to me. I love the city. Philly’s just not pretentious and there is so much good stuff to do that is cheap. I like just wandering around the city. One thing that has really made an impression on me is that Philly requires that you make an effort to get to know it, but if you do, you reap the rewards.
