Graduate Spotlight: Anais Marston '14

Anais Marston ’14 always loved drawing, math, and organizing spaces. “Even as
a little kid, I would take my apartment apart and put it back together,” she laughs.

When she joined Harlem Academy in middle school, that unique combination found a new creative outlet, particularly in science class. “I’ll always remember after a physics project that excited me, my teacher suggested I pursue a career in STEM. That was the first time I’d considered it.”

Reflecting on her time at Harlem Academy, Anais adds, “I was engaged in a way I’d never really been before. Even as a middle schooler, I could tell this felt different – it was fun, and my teachers were truly trying to help us learn.” That early encouragement planted a seed. Today, Anais is a project designer at The Brooklyn Studio, where she recently began her professional career in architecture.

FINDING HER PATH

After Harlem Academy, Anais attended the Spence School and then enrolled at Northeastern University as an engineering major. However, something didn’t feel quite right. “I thought engineering would be more design-oriented, but it was entirely technical. I started thinking seriously about switching to architecture,” she recalls.

It was a major decision, one that would change her career path and extend her college timeline by a year. Before taking the leap, Anais reached out to Head of School Vinny Dotoli for guidance.

Mr. Dotoli talked through the decision and connected her with a local architect to learn more. “She was very honest about the field,” Anais recalls. “The long hours,
work-life balance, and what it was like for her to raise a family while building a career.Even after hearing all the challenges, I still wanted to do it, and I had the confidence to move forward.”

Anais made the switch and never looked back. “Even with the all-nighters and tough material, I was much happier.”

COMING FULL-CIRCLE

After graduating, Anais reached out to Harlem Academy again – this time to give back. She was thrilled to learn that the physics projects she’d loved in eighth grade had evolved into a full-fledged architecture unit. She began volunteering alongside Elizabeth Geldres, an architect at Stantec who leads the program.

“Anais jumped right in,” says middle school director Will Beller. “Having a mentor like her not only helped the program run smoothly but made the path to architecture feel real and accessible for our students.” And Anais didn’t stop there. She also chaperoned the eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., supported the development team, and remained a steady presence in the school community.

“So much has changed at Harlem Academy – a new campus, new faces,” Anais reflects. “But the heart of the school is the same. I felt very much at home. It’s still a place full of teachers who really care and are creating the same kind of environment that I loved so much.”