“As a child in the 1950s, I became interested in the sorts of things that architects do, but without understanding that these things could become a career. I loved drawing plans of imaginary spaces – such as the perfect tree house that I wanted to inhabit – and designing and creating things, such as furniture, birdhouses, and toys with my own toolset. I was a member of the Girl Guides (which is similar to Girl Scouts) when I was young, and I was always the campsite planner and the mapmaker. As a pre-teen, I loved working with my mother to furnish our home.

When I was 14 years old, my mother's friend asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I started to mumble something about becoming an interior decorator. She interrupted and said ‘why don't you do the whole thing?’ That’s when I realized that I could become an architect.”

— Sara Caples