On the Path: Architecture Pathway builds foundation for future designers

Feb 20 2026

Image of a student drawing an architectural design

At our Maize Career Academy, architecture students aren't just silently drafting floor plans: They are learning how to think freely.

Architecture teacher Aaron Finck spent 12 years designing custom homes before stepping into the classroom. Now, he uses that real-world experience to help students break the habit of looking for one perfect answer.

“In core classes and other classes that they take, there's a right or wrong answer,” Finck said. “I keep telling students there's no right or wrong. People are going to have different philosophies, so break out of your shell and break out of your box.”

This creative approach has helped build the largest high school architecture program in the state based on the number of courses offered and the size of student enrollment, according to Dr. Lindsay King, Maize USD 266 Director of College and Career Readiness.

To develop that open mindset, foundational classes including Design Principles in Architecture prioritize paper, pencil, and physical modeling rather than jumping straight into computer software. Students learn to let go of perfectionism through rapid sketching exercises and hands-on projects, including creating Japanese Notan spatial designs, a concept that uses only black and white elements.

That adaptability is exactly what drew Maize South High School senior Dale Freund to the program. Freund isn't planning to design skyscrapers. She plans to continue her education at the Savannah College of Art and Design to study musical theater production design. She wants to use the skills she’s learning in architecture to build structural pieces for stage costumes and sets.

She quickly found that the program's design prompts sparked her creativity, teaching her how to combine objects into new concepts on the fly. Freund said that her favorite project involved building and designing a structure that had to include specific features, such as an angled wall and a connecting pathway.

“It was really cool to be able to just experiment and figure out how I wanted it to look,” Freund said.

She said the biggest takeaway from the pathway isn't just learning how to design a building, it's learning how to adapt.

“If you're not willing to learn how to be flexible, then it just doesn't really work,” Freund said.

That flexibility can pay off long after graduation.

Take for example 2021 Maize South High School graduate Carter Grothusen, who is finishing his master’s degree in architecture at Kansas State University. Thanks to his time in the Maize Career Academy pathway, he already has job offers on the table to design luxury homes.

He credits his high school classes for giving him a head start. Since Finck runs his classroom like a collegiate design studio, Grothusen said he was already used to the independent, project-based environment he found at K-State.

Beyond design skills, Grothusen said the pathway built his confidence to present and defend his creative choices to adults and professionals.

“The way that class prepared me for the thinking and teamwork was great,” Grothusen said. “Just getting through those nerves and talking about your project and the art you put into it.”

Grothusen’s advice to current high schoolers matches one of the core messages of the pathway: Architecture classes are valuable for everyone, not just future architects.

“It’s a way to learn how to work your brain,” Grothusen said. “I’ve got a couple friends that are graduating with an architecture degree, but they want to do something else, and I would say that the program has still sort of prepped you for that scenario.”

Whether students go on to design luxury houses, build theatrical sets, or step into a completely unrelated field, the Maize Career Academy Architecture Pathway ensures they are On the Path to success, giving them the blueprint they need for whatever comes next.

For more information on Maize Career Academy pathways, visit mca.usd266.com/academics/pathway-programs.

On the Path is a series that highlights Maize Career Academy pathways and the students within them, showing how hands-on learning, real-world experiences, and supportive instructors help students explore their interests, build skills, and prepare for careers.

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