I was really fortunate to have landed the position at Lamoureux Pagano because that firm, I just fit with it. It worked for me. I was able to contribute and as I said, Dick Lamoureux and Mike Pagano were the ones who hired me. They were the ones, principles of the firm, and they also—similar to my parents—I never once remember them saying, “Well you should do this because you are a women or only do this or….” There was none of that. They encouraged me sort of in an objective way. It was what skills I brought forward and what I could do. They continually advanced my career as I was able to prove myself basically. So when I graduated it was 1993 and then the next step in terms of becoming an architect is becoming registered, you’re not done with your education. You have to have practical work experience. You have to work within the field, at that time it was three years and then you could take the exam and the exam was a four or five day exam in Boston one day after another and it was all these different components including: structural engineering, programming, site design, building design, and so I studied for that. I’d get up at 5:30 am every morning and study and then go into work—for a year—and then I went in to take this exam and in between I had my daughter so it was a lot going on at that point. My daughter was born in 1993. So that career is very intensive. I think a lot of people think that architecture is a sort of, I don’t know, a lot of people will come up to me and say, “I’ve always wanted to be an architect,” and I’ll say, “Well yeah, it’s a great career,” but I don’t think most people understand what it takes to become and architect.
Kathryn Crockett was born in 1957 in Pittsfield Massachusetts, and now works in Worcester, Massachusetts. In this interview, she talks about her journey into the field of architecture, her thoughts on service to the community, and her love of education. Kathryn is a motivated, hard working, loving mother and wife. Education has always been an important aspect of Kathryn’s life. She started her professional schooling at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she majored in American Studies. After graduating, she began to work at the Worcester Art Museum. After working at the Worcester Art Museum for a number of years, an old passion of hers, architecture, led her to study at the Boston Architectural Center. With the unrelenting support of her husband she was able to take classes at night and complete her degree to become an architect. Kathryn has committed herself to being active member of her community. She has served on the board of trustees for many Worcester institutions, such as Mechanics Hall and Higgins Armory Museum, and has worked with for the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. She firmly believes that hard work will help people meet their goals. She challenges everyone, especially women, to “seek out ways, seek out an environment that gives you buoyancy. Not something that puts you down.” Kathryn promotes the ideas of living without regrets, working hard to achieve goals, and being an informed, thoughtful citizen.