Hi everyone,
I’m Felizitas Dochantschi, and I’m a soon-to-be Trainee in the heart of New York City! I’m currently in my last semester of my Master’s in Architecture in Darmstadt, Germany, and with graduation around the corner, I felt like it was the right time to try something new. Something a little scary, a little exciting, and definitely outside my comfort zone.
I already had an offer from a firm in NYC, and that’s when I found out about Architect-US. It felt like exactly the kind of opportunity I’d been hoping for—a chance to learn, grow, and get a glimpse of what it’s like to work in a completely different context.
The process moved way faster than I thought it would. A friend recommended Architect-US to me (thank you again if you’re reading this!), and from that moment on, everything started falling into place. Georgiana patiently helped me with everything—from coordinating the paperwork to prepping all the documents and getting ready for the embassy appointment in Frankfurt. That part definitely made me nervous, but she helped me feel prepared. I learned that you really just need to bring all your documents, be honest, and stay calm. It’s been great having someone to guide me through all of this and knowing that support continues throughout the whole trainee program makes the experience feel a lot more grounded.
So now it’s getting real. I’m counting down the days until I board the plane and dive into life and work in one of the most intense and inspiring cities out there. It’s an exciting chapter ahead, and I already know it’s going to shape the way I think and work moving forward.
Outside of work, I’m excited to just be in the city – walk around, sketch, explore, meet new people. I’ve always loved discovering places through design and stories, and what better place to do that than New York?
If you’re thinking about doing something similar: I say go for it. It’s okay if it feels overwhelming at first – mine did too. But now I’m just really glad I took the leap.
Talk soon from NYC 🙂
Felizitas
