Persistent and eager, Sacha Braggs arrived at the University of Miami in 2019 on a mission to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and become an architect.
“Though he passed when I was young, I feel like the little time that I was able to spend with him, building small figures, had a lasting impression on me,” said Dallas native Braggs. “He devoted his whole life to his Department of Housing and Urban Development career.”
Today, Braggs is in her third year of the School of Architecture’s five-year, accredited professional program—which leads to her obtaining a bachelor’s degree in architecture.
Early in Braggs’ life, her mom observed how artistic and mathematically inclined she was for her age. To ensure she received the best education possible, her mom decided to move her and her younger sibling from the inner city to the suburbs. “Coming to the University of Miami was important because I wanted to be somewhere that was diverse. Somewhere that I could be exposed to more cultures.”
Braggs said her time at the University has so far provided her with a rich cultural experience. It has also given her the opportunity to explore social organizations, too. Currently, she is involved in four student organizations that provide a perfect balance of philanthropy, spirituality, connection, and fun.
She is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students; KAOS, a coed hip-hop dance team; and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). She is also the co-president of Kids in Culture, a student volunteer organization that strives to show local young students that college is attainable regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
“We go to the local community centers and interact with the kids there to provide tutoring services, and we play games and just engage with them on Fridays,” said Braggs, who represents one of the small number of Black women in STEM-related fields in the nation.
LaTosha Ramsey, assistant director of student retention and programs in the ’Cane Success Center, has become Braggs’ mentor. The two met through FCA, as Ramsey hosts the weekly women’s Bible studies.
“FCA is a safe space for our students to grow in a Christ-like environment,” said Ramsey, who describes Braggs as reliable and an overall great person. “With young ladies like Sacha, and others, we want to teach them the Bible scriptures yet give them the space to interpret it and relay it to their everyday lives.”
Braggs said she is grateful for her FCA family and is grateful to have Ramsey serve as a mother-figure while in Miami. “I love to spread God’s love and word across the campus through fellowship and volunteering,” she said.
Nearing the finish line of her program, Braggs finally feels like she has adjusted to campus life and is continually navigating her architectural education. Although arduous at times, she knows the reward of becoming an architect one day will be well worth it.
“I knew coming into this major that the curriculum would be challenging,” said Braggs, who was awarded several scholarships based on her high school academic performance. “There can be a lot of long nights, or you know, no sleep at all. And sometimes that can be hard, but I feel like seeing the work that you can create is so rewarding at the end.”
Thanks to her student-employee position at the School of Architecture, she has met several faculty members. She said getting to know them beyond the classroom setting has allowed her to see the boundless career options her future field holds.
“We have wonderful professors who actually have jobs within the field and being a professor isn’t their only occupation,” said Braggs. “Some of them work in multiple countries and even own their own firms. I feel this makes them more insightful.”
In the future, Braggs hopes to give back to inner-city communities by creating a non-profit business that restores commercial buildings in the inner city, where marginalized people often lack access to basic resources.
“We’ve all seen these abandoned places in towns and cities that have nothing in them,” said Braggs. “I feel like if I were able to rejuvenate, and not gentrify, these places by giving [marginalized people] somewhere to live . . . they can have access to food, shelter, and other resources that would allow them to thrive.”
