Artist Biography
Rory is graduating in the Spring of 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture from Endicott College. She has consistently been recognized for her academic achievements, being a member of both Kappa Pi Art Honor Society and Mortar Board Honor Society, and earning Dean’s List all four years. In the Fall of 2023 during her Junior year, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy. This was one of her favorite semester’s as an undergraduate, allowing her to broaden her knowledge of architecture and design while traveling across Europe. She has also completed four internships during her time at Endicott, with her most recent being full-time at a firm in Newton, MA. Rory is from Faireld, Connecticut and plans on living in the Boston area after graduation, working for a residential or multidisciplinary design firm. Rory would like to express her appreciation to all of her friends, family, professors and mentors for their endless support in both her personal and academic endeavors.
Thesis Abstract
Rory’s thesis project, CROSSROADS: LIFESTYLE LAB, draws deeply from her personal journey and academic experiences. Graduating high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she found herself unexpectedly taking a gap year and later transferring schools. This period of transition and uncertainty led her to recognize the need for a supportive space where high school students and recent graduates could explore their futures beyond the traditional college route. Through extensive research, Rory discovered that many high school students feel unprepared to make informed decisions about college and career routes, often struggling with mental health and the pressure of post-graduation expectations. While college remains the most common next step, she highlights the importance of other viable options such as gap years, trade schools, and military service. CROSSROADS: LIFESTYLE LAB is designed as a welcoming and flexible hub where students can explore a wide range of possibilities at their own pace. The center includes eight immersive career suites—ranging from Built Environment (architecture, design, plumbing, electrical, Healthcare (nursing, dental), Education, (elementary, middle, high), Cosmetology, Business, Psychology, Studio Art (pottery, painting) to Media + Broadcasting—each offering hands-on opportunities to engage with different elds. Additional resources include college prep spaces, therapy and advising rooms, a student culinary area, and a library. This innovative center aims to empower students to envision their futures with clarity, condense, and a renewed sense of possibility.