Kaitlynn’s Journey in the Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Technology Pathway

Kaitlynn Patterson’s interests in interior design and construction were first sparked as a kid when she’d watch home makeover shows on HGTV.

She enjoyed helping out with small projects around the house, but she never saw it as anything more than a fun way to stay busy and be useful. It wasn’t until she started taking classes within the Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Technology Pathway during her sophomore year at Burnsville High School that she started to think about how she could develop her passion and someday turn it into a career. 

“All of the classes in the Pathways allowed me to explore my interests and begin narrowing down my future intentions and plans. They really cemented it for me,” Kaitlynn said. 

In addition to her Interior Design class, Kaitlynn has also taken Architecture and Civil Engineering, which have given her a broader understanding of design principles and the role design plays in larger infrastructure projects. Kaitlynn said she most enjoys interior design because it allows her to be creative both with her style and with how spaces are arranged and used.

“I definitely have developed my very own style of interior design through all the Pathways classes that went over all the principles of design,” Kaitlynn said. “I think it really appealed to me because I’m able to create a safe and visually appealing space - really take a space and use lighting and colors to give definition to it.”

In Interior Design, Kaitlynn enjoyed working with a construction class to design and build a 3-D model home. The construction class followed a floor plan to build the home and Kaitlynn then got to paint the home and apply her own style to the interior. One of her favorite parts of the project was when the class used Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to design the floor plans for houses.

“It’s really similar to what companies actually use and how businesses actually operate. I think access to those tools has been really helpful,” she said.

Kaitlynn has continued to gain hands-on experience, as well. She took Construction as a junior, as well as Woodworking. Then last summer she got a job clearing out dirt as part of a demolition crew that was preparing land for an apartment building near her house. She said the experiences she had in those classes at BHS had her feeling well prepared when she was on an actual job site.

“My skills have majorly improved and given me a lot of experience, especially with the different tools we have,” Kaitlynn said. “The things that we’re learning are definitely applicable. A lot of the stuff I learned is directly connected to it. I can take what I learned at the high school level and take it further in college and use it on job sites.”

Kaitlynn plans to major in Interior Design or Architecture in college. She’s already been accepted into the Queen University of Charlotte, as well as UNC Charlotte, which has a nationally recognized architecture program. 

“I think my ultimate goal is I would really love to be able to flip houses, working with structural components and being able to design them and set them up for buyers,” she said. “That would bring together the construction and the design components. I think that would be really interesting.”

Pathways in District 191

From preschool through graduation, District 191’s Pathways model provides all students with age-appropriate experiences through which they explore possibilities, develop the skills and attributes they’ll need to succeed, find their passions and prepare for their futures.

Being a Pathways district means we:

1. Remove barriers and ensure equitable access for all students,
2. Center students as decision makers in their learning journeys,
3. Promote a future-focused mindset, ensuring students have a plan for meeting their next challenge,
4. Engage in partnerships to maximize resources and opportunities, and 
5. Provide real-world benefits, including professional certifications and college credits by graduation

Learn more at pathways.isd191.org.