KENNESAW, Ga. | May 19, 2025

KSU Journey Honors College student Alexandra Purvis is building more than just her academic future; she’s laying the foundation for a life rooted in sustainability, community service, and global exploration. 

Having recently completed her first year at Kennesaw State University, she is pursuing a degree in Architecture and a minor in Spanish. She desires to become fluent in Spanish and from there, learn Italian. 

Her passion for architecture was first sparked by an episode of the Disney comedy show Liv and Maddie. “In one of the episodes, they created solar-powered shelters for people who didn’t have a place to go,” Purvis said. “It inspired me to think about how I could use design to help my community.” 
 
From there, her passion took shape. She has always enjoyed crafts and hands-on creativity, but architecture gave her a purposeful outlet.  
 
“Every move you make in the process must have a reason and there's something so poetic about that for me," she said. “I just want to be able to point at a building one day and tell my kids that I did that.” 
 
Purvis aspires to become a Green-Design Architect and create sustainable designs for non-profit organizations and worship spaces that are filled with love, safety, and peace. 
 
Along with 5 other KSU students, Purvis applied for the Fulbright UK Institutes, a highly selective international academic and cultural exchange program, and earned finalist status. With dreams of studying architecture abroad, she thought this would be a great first step. She first learned about the opportunity in her Honors 1200 course. 

“Being named a semi-finalist for the UK Summer Fulbright program is a tremendous achievement, particularly for a first-year student," said Dr. Jamie Elliott, Associate Dean of the KSU Journey Honors College, who also provides leadership for the Office of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships (ONISF). “We know that Alexandra has a bright future ahead of her at KSU, and it is an honor for us in ONISF to work with students like Alexandra in support of their personal and professional goals.” 
 
Earlier this year, she traveled to Oxkutzcab, Mexico, on a mission trip with KSU’s Catholic Center, working to strengthen and reunite local communities. She also hopes to study in Italy in the future to experience the country’s rich architectural history and visit family living in Milan. 
 
This fall, Purvis has plans to start her journey as an Honors Peer Mentor, guiding incoming students through their honors experience. She’ll also continue her role as an Ambassador for KSU Admissions and will prepare for recruitment as the Recruitment 365 Director for the Alpha Xi Delta- Kappa Alpha Chapter.  

 

She’s currently exploring architecture internship opportunities that will allow her to apply her creativity and commitment to meaningful design.  

 

 

Students interested in applying for funding opportunities for study abroad, experiential learning, and research should contact the Office of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships.