Brenden’s journey with the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (ECAP) has come full circle. What began with a summer at DesignWorks as a high school student from New York led him to Ball State, a degree in Urban Planning, and a career in transportation planning. Today, he’s back at Ball State as a mentor and co-director of DesignWorks, sharing his experience and passion with the next generation of students. We’re grateful to have Brenden back as part of the ECAP family, giving his time, knowledge and experience to help inspire the next generation—and giving students the same opportunity he had to discover where a DesignWorks experience might take them.

Finding His Path to Urban Planning
Early on in high school, there weren’t that many experiences out there for a student interested in urban planning. Most planners discover the field after they are already in college. When my family saw that Ball State had a design intensive that incorporated planning into the experience, I knew that I had to pack my bags from New York and give it a go.

I had always been interested in urban planning, specifically transportation systems. As young as four years old, my favorite activity was going on a train ride with my dad. As I grew up and learned more about the world, my interest never waned, but it did shift—from being fascinated by the infrastructure itself, to wondering how it all worked, and eventually to asking why it must work. Growing up in New York, I saw the devastating impacts of cuts to transit service and transportation funding and how they changed the way people could live. By high school, I knew I wanted to work in civil service and help ensure transportation systems work and provide opportunity for everyone.

ECAP was already at the top of my list after participating as a student in DesignWorks in 2018. After going through the First-Year program and gaining a much deeper understanding of the three fields (Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning) I could apply into, I was sure that planning was the right match for me. I ultimately chose Ball State specifically for the Urban Planning program, as it’s one of a handful in the country with a fully accredited undergraduate program.

The DesignWorks Summer Camp That Changed Everything
I will always remember the people and how we got to know each other during my DesignWorks experience. That summer trip to Indiana was the longest—and farthest—I had ever been from home, and I remember being both excited and anxious about what awaited me in Muncie. Everyone was a joy to meet, and I had such a great time getting to know my fellow students. There are several I still talk to today, even almost a decade later, many of whom went on to attend Ball State. I made long-lasting friendships that were bolstered by our shared experiences during the summer.

DesignWorks absolutely influenced my decision to attend Ball State. Before I attended, Ball State was an abstract concept to me. I knew it was in Indiana; that was about it. As a high school student, DesignWorks allowed me to put myself in the shoes of a first-year college student and engage with design thinking in ways I never knew I could. It provided me with the knowledge base and confidence I needed to enter ECAP’s First-Year program. I hadn’t given drawing much of a chance before the academy, and my instructors and student assistants were there to guide me the entire way through. Those skills directly translated into the First-Year courses and made the learning curve much less steep.

The academy also showed me that planning didn’t only have to be about financial models, passenger trips, or population counts. There are decisions to be made that have to do with the lived experience, not just numbers.

After that summer, everywhere I visited on my college tours never quite lived up to that experience. Ball State was already towards the top of my list, and after receiving news that I was receiving the Whitinger Scholarship from the Honors College, it was a no-brainer.

From Ball State to a Career in Transportation Planning
After my undergraduate ceremony in December 2023, I began working full time as a Community Planner with the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, or Volpe Center for short. This is where I completed the required internship for my degree the summer prior, which I found through an email from the ECAP Planning Department!

The Volpe Center works to support federal agencies with transportation initiatives as an arm of the Office of the Secretary for Research and Technology. I work within the Program Development and Capacity Building Division, within the Policy, Planning, & Environment Technical Center. For me, this agency perfectly blends my passion for public service with my varied interests in the transportation sector.

Since joining the Volpe Center, I have worked to support programs across our portfolios, including freight, competitive grants, innovative finance, federal lands, agency program development, and beyond. While I am based out of New York, this work occasionally brings me to locations across the country to conduct stakeholder outreach and public events. I continue to work here today—except, of course, for two weeks each summer, when I return home to Ball State for DesignWorks.

How Ball State Prepared Him for a Career in Planning
The Urban Planning program taught me how to think in systems. I learned how to approach a problem with a toolkit, rather than treating each effort as a new topic in a vacuum. Ball State is also where I came to understand what public engagement was and the best ways to talk to constituents at a personal level. I largely find myself calling upon those soft skills in my work today talking with people, leading conversations about processes and steps, and noticing when we need to bring change into our efforts.

While I do not do much physical planning at my job, I use the design software and tools I learned at ECAP often, even for non-planning tasks. I frequently use Adobe Creative Cloud and ArcGIS Pro to complete my day-to-day work. Overall, I find that ECAP prepared me to be a holistic and adaptable planner in the federal government.

Giving Back to DesignWorks
After participating in DesignWorks as a high school student in 2018, Brenden has now returned to the academy for the past three years as an instructor and co-director. He had two primary inspirations for coming back.

The first was something he noticed throughout the years as DesignWorks continued to take place: Urban Planning wasn’t always as represented in the curriculum and staffing as he thought it could be. Planning is the smallest program that comes out of CAPFY, and it makes sense that Architecture and Landscape Architecture are a large focus. But Brenden saw an opportunity to more strongly incorporate Urban Planning into the summer curriculum.

He was inspired to return as an instructor so he could help provide guidance to students who were interested in planning—especially since there weren’t many students who had even heard of Urban Planning before DesignWorks.

His other inspiration was Lori Pence. Brenden was heavily involved as an ECAP ambassador during his time as a student, and through his conversations with Lori, he agreed to come back for the academies. “They have been wonderful experiences since,” he said. “Lori, who is retiring, will be greatly missed as a part of the ECAP leadership team.”

Creating a Lasting Experience
For Brenden, DesignWorks is an opportunity for students to discover whether design is right for them before they make decisions about college and their careers.
“It’s well known that design isn’t for everyone. At DesignWorks, I like to share with the students that, hopefully, 80–90 percent of you have the thoughts in your mind about becoming a designer confirmed, and that we’ll see you in First-Year. For the remaining students, you will find that this isn’t for you at all, and you will change direction for college.”

Both outcomes are great. DesignWorks is a preview of what students can expect from CAPFY, and if it is not for them, they have a chance to think about different career options. If it is for them, they have a head start on the design thinking they will be asked to do.

Brenden also hopes students realize that DesignWorks is a place where they will make friendships that last a lifetime, and that the personal connections they make are as important as what they learn on paper.

Watching Students Grow
The most rewarding part of volunteering, Brenden says, is seeing the transformation of the students from the beginning to the end of the academy.

“Many of the students come very reserved and lacking the confidence to design freely. The group that we have on the final day is very different from the group we have on day one.”

He is continually impressed by how quickly students are able to adapt, become vulnerable with themselves as designers, and immediately incorporate new skills they are learning—all while working around people they’ve never met before.

“It warms my heart to know that many of these students will continue on to be part of CAPFY.”

Returning to Ball State each summer has also become an important part of Brenden’s professional life.

“I had such great experiences at BSU; to be back in the mindset of a member of the ECAP family for even two weeks out of the year is a great help to my professional career.”

Advice for Future Designers and Planners
Brenden’s advice to students considering DesignWorks is simple: “Do it.”
“If nothing else, it will be a fun summer activity with many stories to be told at the end of it. But it also offers you a unique experience to try out college before the real deal, and it comes with three elective credits! That’s a deal you can’t beat.”

For students interested in design in general, Brenden also encourages them to reach out to industry professionals and ask to shadow them during their workday or simply have a conversation.

“Many of us, especially in the public sector Urban Planning, are not often asked about what we do and why we find it important and impactful.” Brenden shadowed many people during his time in school, including a few who he now gets to work with professionally.
“Just reach out, the worst they can say is no.”

From DesignWorks Participant to Mentor
If someone had told Brenden during DesignWorks Academy that one day he would earn a Ball State degree and come back to mentor future participants, he admits he would have been pretty surprised.

“Teaching isn’t something I saw myself doing at the age of 16, yet it has felt like a very natural extension of how I would wish to represent the Urban Planning field. Of course, with the love I have had for the ECAP family since attending in 2018, it wouldn’t have struck me by surprise at all that I kept in touch and stayed involved with BSU. #ChirpChirp!”

One of Brenden’s favorite parts of returning to co-direct DesignWorks has been the opportunity to work alongside ECAP’s excellent team of faculty—including two of his former DesignWorks instructors. He worked with Rod Underwood in 2024 and Chris Marlow in 2026, the same two instructors who taught him as a DesignWorks student in 2018.

“That has been extra meaningful, and I certainly hope they look fondly on my academy year.”
Brenden remains grateful for the opportunities ECAP has provided and continues to provide, and he always looks forward to the next chance to give back.

He also shared his appreciation for the ECAP faculty who have supported the program throughout his tenure and the student staff who have helped throughout the years.

Curious about DesignWorks?
Learn more about DesignWorks Summer Academy at this link https://www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/cap/workshops/designworks