Mariah Bowman loves to create things. That’s been obvious since she found a passion for ceramics during a class at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch. “In ceramics, you’re reusing the clay,” Bowman said. “And I became interested in the regenerative ideals of what you take, you give back.” That interest was just the beginning. On Dec. 14, she will graduate with a Master of Architecture degree from CU Denver, after already completing her Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree here in 2021.
Bowman describes her journey at CU Denver as intense, but also as the most inspirational time of her life—and one that carries an emotional impact for her family. Her grandmother once lived in the Auraria neighborhood but was displaced along with other community members in the 1970s to create the Auraria Campus. Years later, when Bowman was considering college, she visited CU Denver and applied for the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship, which provides descendants of former Auraria residents with support for tuition and fees.
“I came to CU Denver to tour the College of Architecture and Planning and had goosebumps all over my body. I loved everything about it,” said Bowman. “When I got the call that I received the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship, I fell down crying.” The scholarship ensured that she would be able to invest in her future with a college degree.
Bowman is the first person in her immediate family to earn a college degree—a first-generation student—and she will be the first to earn a master’s degree when she crosses the stage on Dec. 14. While achieving her bachelor’s degree, she worked two jobs to support herself and was a full-time student to optimize the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship (which previously covered tuition and fees for up to eight semesters). After she started her master’s degree, the university announced the expansion of the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship. “It ended up being a huge blessing for me to continue my studies,” Bowman said.
In addition to the scholarship, she found support in the classroom. Her professors, including Lecturer Cynthia Fishman, Professor Lilly Djaniants, Professor William Koning, and Assistant Professor Assia Crawford, supported her values and encouraged her to “dig deeper.” Instead of simply answering her questions, they would help her unpack topics in ways that aligned with what she wanted to learn, she said.
A few of Bowman’s standout projects include designing a material laboratory, which was an exploration of thirteen different regenerative building materials, and a revamped security desk adorned in wood in the College of Architecture and Planning’s lobby. In addition to the technical aspects, she experienced personal growth in working with others and learning how to take feedback after spending dozens of hours on a project.
Bowman puts those skills to use at her current job as a 3D graphics specialist at the landscape architecture firm CPRA Studio, where she helps design cemeteries and cremation gardens nationally. In the future, she hopes to create a career in regenerative residential architecture, which infuses her passion for giving back into designing homes.
For now, she’s looking forward to celebrating her accomplishments at commencement, and, after seven years in school, having some free time. “I’m excited to get back into ceramics, and find a job that combines the aspects of architecture that include both indoor and outdoor design,” Bowman said. “I am now graduating college with a strong support system and wonderful relationships with tons of professors that I can stay in touch with.”