The University of Minnesota Scholarship Committee has selected Maria Berg as the 2019 SPQR Fellow. Maria is in her first year of the Architecture program but her third year of college. In a letter introducing herself to the other SPQR Fellows, Maria wrote:
To the SPQR Fellowship:
I grew up one hour south of the cities in New Prague, Minnesota as the middle child between my two brothers. My dad works as a family practice physician and my mom works as a school nurse. Although he works in the medical field, my dad has a passion for architecture and would take us on tours of Frank Lloyd Wright homes. Because of his influence and my spatial awareness, I knew by fifth grade that I too, wanted to become an architect.
By my senior year of high school, I feared that the time commitment of architecture would conflict with my goals of running collegiately. I chose to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth for my first two years where I ran cross country and track, and majored in Geographic Information Science. As my passions shifted from athletics to academics, I made the decision to transfer to the Twin Cities campus and changed my major. I no longer run competitively, but that allows me to be fully engaged with my academics.
Changing the course of my academics has been both challenging and rewarding. It has been the best decision thus far, as I am finding more and more opportunities to get involved with design-related activities. I appreciate the SPQR Fellowship for supporting me in my study abroad endeavours, as Rome will be an opportunity for me to advance my drawing skills. The scholarship is a great motivator, and I look forward to sending updates as I experience ancient Rome through an architectural lens.
Sincerely, Maria Berg
• Drawing as a Way to Investigate Architecture and Urban Space
• Follow Maria in Rome and SPQR on Instagram: @spqrfellowship
