Vira Williams Wins a PAVE Scholarship by Pouring Her Heart Out

Vira Williams
This Ukrainian native and U.S. design student won a PAVE scholarship and Kevin Roche mentorship by pouring her heart out.

Tell us about your background.

I’m 20 years old. I grew up in Ukraine, in a historic mining city called Chervonograd. It is still a developing city, about 70,000 people, and a good part of it is rural.

Where you discovered an aptitude for art?

When I was in first or second grade, I drew a firefighter with a firetruck in the background. And I remember thinking at that moment that this is what I will be doing in my life – art. Which is what I’ve done ever since.

So it was pretty good?

No. It was the ugliest drawing. But I remember being impressed with myself for creating it. For the first time, I did not use a coloring book to draw something so complex.

Talk about your journey to the U.S. and Belmont College.

I was adopted by an American family in Tennessee when I was 16. I applied to Watkins College of Art here in Nashville, and then Watkins merged with Belmont. After switching majors to architecture, I am now a student at Belmont-O’More College of Architecture & Design.

?:  Vira Williams

Why did you switch to architecture?

It was an unexpected decision that I made during my first semester. I had wanted to try myself out, and I dived into this program knowing nothing about architecture. But I had skills in drawing, so that was a good start. Art is always going to be my first passion, but people are my biggest inspiration. And a creative mind with discipline is able to do amazing things both for self-fulfillment and for other people.

What have you learned about yourself and your future?

That I have opportunities to do what I love, and with the right push and hard work I can achieve many great things. And each time I do achieve, I gain more confidence, motivation and encouragement. I like challenges, and I have a constant urge and drive to push myself outside of my limits and to do better.

You recently won a PAVE scholarship and mentorship by writing an award-winning response to their questions. Would you share some of that?

Yes. The questions were about my passion and commitment for design. (NOTE: These answers have been edited and condensed by the editor.)

“From my earliest memories, I recall being enchanted by the beauty of the world around me. I lived in a Ukrainian orphanage and, as you can imagine, I did not experience what most people see as ‘beautiful things.’ There was no luxury or privilege where I grew up, and maybe that’s why I so easily found the extraordinary in the little things…

“I was not a social child, but my work told my story. What I could not find the words to say, my hands became my voice. As my talent grew, so did my imagination, and I found myself creating the world that I longed to live in…

“As architects, we make a social impact with new, innovative, functional and reliable buildings. As a designer I want to make it my job to tell the story – about people, environment, economics, etc. – and the identity of the area I will build on. This story will then shape every aspect in the architectural or urban intervention.”