“I absolutely adore the culture here and I love these kids."
When Katy Philbrick attended Roosevelt High School as a student, the Design and Technology Academy (DATA) had just opened its doors. She didn’t pay it much attention at the time, and certainly never thought she would one day join the program as a teacher.
Philbrick attended Windcrest Elementary School, Ed White Middle School and Roosevelt, where she graduated in 2001.
The day she walked into Bill Sturgis’ architecture class at Roosevelt, everything changed.
“I actually took some architecture courses here and that’s when I realized this is what I want to do,” said Philbrick. “Mr. Sturgis took the time to show me that he believed in me and that I could do this. That meant a lot to me.”
It meant so much that she went on to earn a master’s degree in architecture and business administration from Texas Tech University. She moved back home to San Antonio and worked at an architecture firm for a few years but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.
“I realized that I missed people, and I missed the education side of architecture, so that’s really what brought me back. This job opened up and I applied, and I’ve been here ever since.”
Nearly 20 years at DATA has flown by, but her ‘why’ remains the same. And that’s the kids.
“I absolutely adore the culture here. I love these kids. I keep in touch with them after they leave. They really are what gives me energy every day.”
That energy helps her inspire and educate the next generation of architects. Her students learn how to design buildings and skyscrapers in her classroom. But they leave with the tools and confidence to design a bright future where the sky is the limit.