Jessica Yegge (left), senior engineering and architecture double major, and Tania Transito, present their project, ‘#somewhere,’ to their classmates March 5. Matthew Swope | Banner
Jessica Yegge, senior civil engineering and architecture double major, has had an interest in architecture since her childhood. Her father dissuaded her from pursuing architecture because it had a limited job market at that time.
Her grandfather, a civil engineer, encouraged her to follow in his footsteps, so in high school Yegge took courses in engineering at her local community college.
When she applied to California Baptist University in 2012, those credits gave her a head start, and by her third year at CBU she was considered a senior in civil engineering.
In the fall of 2013, CBU introduced an undergraduate architecture program. Still interested in architecture, Yegge adopted it as a second major.
As a double major, Yegge dedicates much of her time to school work. Last semester she was enrolled in 19 units, and she said at one point she stayed awake for 88 consecutive hours.
She also spent time tutoring students. This semester she is taking 19 units and serves as the vice president of CBU’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“It’s funny to hear, ‘Well I can just skip class,’ (because) I’m in the mindset that class is valuable time for me,” Yegge said. “I can learn a lot through teaching.”
Yegge recently completed a class building project she designed and led. The project’s prompt was to design a bike rack, planter or sitting area using the theme of community. The students voted for their favorite.
“Jessica’s project was one of the highest voted compared to her classmates,” said Susan Duemer, professor of architecture. “Her concept was clear and visually represented very well.”
Yegge designed a sitting area for the grass between the Community Life Lounge and the Office of Spiritual Life known as #nowhere, since the steps stopped at the grass. Yegge intended to rebrand the area as “#somewhere.”
Yegge’s design, combined with the design of classmate Tania Transito, senior architecture major, was chosen to be built using student resources.
“We as a group are buying all that we need ourselves,” said Perla Espino, sophomore architecture major and group member in charge of project information. “Using recycled materials and donated materials helps a lot in not having to spend a lot of money.”
Yegge will graduate in 2018 with the first architecture class.
