Amanda Marchese

Triton College architecture graduate Amanda Marchese will soon travel outside the United States for the first time, on an academic mission. This October, the Brookfield native and current senior at Southern Illinois University (SIU) will head to China as a newly appointed Global Ambassador for SIU’s School of Architecture.

Bound for Guangzhou, the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in southern China, Marchese will represent the university’s College of Arts & Media and the SIU School of Architecture, engage with international students and engage in a cultural exchange in the Greater Bay Area.

“I’m still processing the news,” she shared just two days after learning about the opportunity. “There’s a lot to do, but I’m just so grateful for this experience. I am very much looking forward to seeing Guangzhou and the blend of modern and ancient architecture. I’ve imagined traveling abroad since I was a kid, and I’m excited about this trip and incredible opportunity.”

Marchese graduated from Triton College in May 2024 with an associate degree in architecture before transferring to SIU to pursue her bachelor’s degree. She credits Triton with laying the foundation for her success.

“Triton and the architecture program there really gave me a one-up in being prepared and confident in my skills,” she said.

While at Triton, Marchese served as president of both the Architecture & Design Club and Phi Theta Kappa’s Chi Zeta Chapter. Her dedication and leadership made a strong impression on faculty, including Frances Figg, coordinator of the Architecture and Construction Technology Program, who added that Marchese was also her program assistant for a year and a half.

Figg said she knew Marchese, or “Mak,” as she calls her, as a detail-oriented and very driven student. And that was reflected in her work, she added.

“We had a juror that sat on a couple of juries for her, and he was impressed,” Figg recalls. “He told everybody in the room, ‘One day, you’re all going to be working for Mak.’

“Knowing Mak, I’m not surprised to see her doing so well, but it’s very rewarding to see her being recognized.”

In her youth, Marchese was always fascinated by interior design. She spent many hours playing The Sims, a series of life simulation video games in which players direct the daily lives of characters. Players manage their needs, personalities, relationships, and—the main draw for Marchese—construct and design their houses. It was an outlet for her to flex her creative side, and her knack for interior decorating and furnishing became apparent to family members, like her grandmother.

“I’ve always just liked building houses and picking out materials,” she said. “When my grandma would want to redo something in the house, she’d always let me pick out the colors or the furniture.”

Marchese began her college journey at Triton right after high school, earning an Associate of Arts in general studies before pivoting to architecture in 2021. She said she chose Triton for its affordability and smooth credit transfer process.

“It just felt like a no-brainer,” she said. “The cost is effective and the teachers are great. I always felt like I had the support and resources I needed.”

Once she’s finished with school, Marchese hopes to work in project management or become a licensed architect.

Now, as she prepares for her international journey, Marchese sees her upcoming experience in China as both a professional milestone and a personal dream fulfilled.

Learn more about Triton Colleges Architecture Department here.