Cameron native earns master's from Harvard
By Erny Zah
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK, June 9, 2011
Andre Bighorse
Andre Bighorse started drawing when he was 3 years old and his mom encouraged him to continue.
So much, in fact, that on June 11, Bighorse will receive his master's degree in architecture from Harvard University.
"I'm so proud and I'm very excited about his accomplishment," said his mother, Patti Braxton, 46, of Phoenix.
Bighorse, 25, said the coursework was "challenging" at Harvard, where he completed his master's program in three years.
"They make you think about a lot of different things," he said, noting that he learned that architecture isn't "just about the buildings," it's about the people they may affect.
But his interest in designing buildings started early, Braxton said, and she watched as her 3-year-old's drawings evolved into drawings of buildings and skyscrapers.
Braxton said she encouraged him to continue with school because she knew the struggles of being a parent while trying to complete her education.
"I wanted my son to do better than I did," she said. "I didn't want my son to go through that."
She emphasized the dedication needed to complete the work to earn a degree.
"It takes a lot of discipline," she said.
Bighorse, originally from Cameron, Ariz., graduated from Cactus High School in Phoenix and then enrolled at Arizona State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in 2007.
He said he became interested in Harvard when some recruiters came to ASU.
After college Bighorse found work at an architectural firm in Phoenix, but Harvard was on his mind.
"Why not just apply and see if I could get in?" he asked himself.
He had to submit a resume, portfolio of his designs, and references.
"It was like applying for a job," added Bighorse, who is Tsi'naajinii (Black Streaked Wood Clan), born for Tl'íz' Lání (Many Goats Clan).
He started his master's study in fall 2008 and said the most challenging part wasn't the demands of an Ivy League school - it was being so far from home.
"Adjusting to the environment was the hardest," he said. "It's a completely different environment."
He added that navigating the city of Boston was a challenge.
"It's very different than living in Arizona," he said.
But Bighorse found some solace in a friend who was Navajo.
"We got along pretty well," he said, adding they reminisced about mutton and fry bread. "It made me feel more connected to home, even though I was in Boston."
So for three years, Bighorse lived in a city he became familiar with but took every chance to return home, coming back during each school break and vacation.
Even so, he appreciated living in one of the founding cities of the United States.
"The history of the area was everywhere," he said, and buildings and statues dating from the 1600s give a historic persona to the city. Harvard is located in Cambridge, part of the greater Boston area.
As for the future, Bighorse said he eventually wants to open his own architectural practice in Flagstaff so he can spend some time working on the reservation.
"That is one of my goals," he said.