Candice Crawford crafts a plan for the future

Candice Crawford was never the average teenage girl. She has never meddled in home economics nor has she aspired to become a teacher, paediatrician or an air hostess. Instead, she could be seen waiting on buses to go to school with her T- square in hand, a tool which was once only used by males.

The aspiring architect shared stories of always having a special love for art and a keen interest in things that tickle her creative bone.

In fact, while she tries to secure a position at the University of Technology (UTech), Crawford continues to put her creativity to work.

The 18-year-old who resides in Baptist, a community in Yallahs, St Thomas, told Rural Xpress that though she has always been painting and drawing, it was her mother who gave her the idea to make portfolios, a task she now earns from.

"I tried one and it came out very good, as if it was professionally done, so I took it to the market and it was loved and accepted by all. The portfolio is a certificate holder that you put school-leaving credentials and photos into," she said, as she explained that the portfolios are made specifically for graduates.

SCHOOLS INTERESTED

Crawford revealed that she introduced her work to various schools and they were all excited by it, with some admitting that they had never seen anything like it before.

"Some schools told me that they used something like it (portfolio) for a few graduations. However, they say the material that I use looks better, firmer, and the fact that it is able to hold both a certificate and a picture makes mine hard to resist," she said.

Crawford told Rural Xpress that she has since then supplied four schools and is looking forward to supplying others come this graduation season, also adding that one of the previous schools ordered 97 portfolios for its graduating class.

And though she says that she has mastered this skill and hopes to maximise her product base, Crawford said she is looking forward to studying architecture at the university level.

"I have always been fascinated by every form of art. Since childhood, I have been attracted to the distinctive identity of a building style. I used to just look at buildings and try to draw them, both the inside and out. I sought pleasure with other various forms of art whether it is a person or a picture capturing a moment.

"Then in high school, I was introduced to technical drawing, which is the precise and detailed drawing of an object, as employed in architecture/engineering. There and then, learning how to draw floor plans and things like that and gaining knowledge about the subject, I fell in love with the career and developed an even greater interest in pursuing it. Especially when I learnt about BMED (Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing) at the more advanced level (CAPE)," she said.

Crawford told Rural Xpress that she is inspired by an architect she knows.

"He encourages me to be the best at what I can do; to have confidence and to be a very keen worker and never give up until I achieve what is to be done and reach my full potential," she said.

Crawford hopes to begin courses at UTech come the start of next school year.