Regional and City Planning graduate student Georgex Tafoya recently shared his favorite childhood memory of as part of the 2021 Latinx in Architecture San Francisco (LiASF) workshop, “Exploring our Latinidad,” led by James Rojas of Place It!
Read more in the March 2021 issue of ByDesign: Journal of Exceptional Achievement, and see an excerpt below.
Barrio Dreamin’
Georgex Tafoya
My favorite childhood memory is playing soccer in my front
yard under the supervision of my grandmother in our East
Los Angeles home. As the only child, I would use my
imagination to entertain myself at home. I would imagine
myself playing under bright lights in a huge stadium filled
with thousands of fans. I was the soccer superstar, and my
grandmother was the referee. This was a time for me to
play outside and to dream. For my grandmother, this was a
break from the work she had waiting for her in our garage
where she would sew clothes. My front yard in East L.A. is
the place where I most enjoyed my childhood, and it
continues to be a space where my younger cousins can
play and create memories
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
