Grads of distinction: Makayla Davis
Though she didn’t originally plan to attend The Ohio State University, a visit to the Columbus Campus and the Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture convinced Makayla Davis to become a Buckeye.
“Feeling the comfort of the campus and the community that I would be within, I was much more comfortable choosing Ohio State than any of the other schools,” she said. “It felt right.”
After the professor who taught her first-year studio course exposed Davis to the possibilities of landscape architecture, the honors student decided to switch her major.
“The field is really flexible and practitioners can do essentially anything, so there's a lot of opportunity,” explained Davis. “I figured, why not do it? It's interesting, it's cool and I can get a lot out of it.”
During her four years at Ohio State, Davis has taken advantage of all the university has to offer. The three education abroad courses she took—visiting London, Rome and Peru—are among the highlights of her academic experience.
“I'm grateful for the scholarships I got to do those,” she said. “Being exposed to other cultures, other communities and being outside of the United States was beyond inspiring. It was transformative to get other experiences and there's something special about being within a place that welcomes you.”
Also prioritizing service, Davis is the current president of SERVitecture, a student organization that provides community service opportunities related to architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning. A member since her freshman year, she especially enjoyed SERVitecture’s biannual trips to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity in various cities throughout North America, and its annual student Fashion Schau, a charity event that encourages students to create clothing out of recycled material.
“Those are some of the best experiences, the things I'll remember because I made a lot of friends, and it impacted the way I look at my work and what I’ll do in the future,” she said.
As a public and university programs intern for the Wexner Center for the Arts for the past two years, Davis worked for the learning and public practice department and even created a zine showcasing behind-the-scenes work of museum staffers.
After graduation she will pursue a master’s in city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania.
For current and future Buckeyes, this go-getter advised, “There are a lot of opportunities that you will have at Ohio State. You can miss out if you don't take the chance to try something new, go somewhere new or meet new people.”
