Patricia Halaby

Patricia says she has always been interested in art, "But I’m too much of a realist to be an artist. Architecture seemed like the perfect combination of art and science. It’s fitting to my personality—the balance of left- and right-brain thinking makes it endlessly stimulating and challenging." Patricia points to the MGM National Harbor Resort as a particularly rewarding project. As team leader of the resort’s theater, she attended one of the first concerts held there, with an audience of 4,000. "It was amazing to see the project come alive," Patricia marvels. "The moment was a culmination of a lot of hard work by the team. It felt remarkable to have had a part in creating a space that brought so much joy to so many." She marvels, too, at how her life changed at 15, when her family immigrated to the U.S. from Jordan. "I certainly would not be here doing what I am doing if it weren’t for my parents’ decision to offer me a better future."