TDA Becomes 100% Employee-Owned
February 20, 2026
TDA's Summer Student Shadow Day
ThenDesign Architecture is a community-oriented learning and teaching firm, so hosting an annual Summer Shadow Day for current and recent students is a natural fit. Inviting future professionals who are curious about the architecture, interior design, and construction fields, the staff shared their love for the industry through a series of learning engagements at the TDA office in Downtown Willoughby at the reimagined Memorial Junior High School.
The Summer Shadow Day is aligned with our mission to serve communities through the work we do. TDA President Chris Smith, Ph.D., AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, expressed the importance of such outreach for young people: “When I was that young, there weren’t the same opportunities available, which makes it even more rewarding for us at TDA to host this kind of program that supports students while reflecting our core values.”
The goal of the day was to give students a practical view of the industry beyond their academic education. Christina Moran, Ph.D., is the leader of People Operations at TDA and came up with the vision and design for the event. “Sharing the experiences of our team, first-hand, is an excellent way to get students excited about the profession while also learning about who we are,” she said. “If we can inspire future designers and architects by assisting them in deciding if this is the right path for them, we are honored to have helped them along the way.”
TDA's Summer Student Shadow Day
First a Student, Then an Employee
Emerging Professional Logan Nelson was a guest at the Summer Shadow Day in 2024 and is now a full-time employee at TDA. “I first came into contact with TDA at the Career Fair at Kent State University. They were really welcoming and friendly, and that was the type of firm I was looking for.”
Logan said the experience at TDA’s Summer Shadow Day opened his eyes to how different companies can be, and it solidified his desire to be on staff. “The shadow day helped me sort out my professional focus. TDA has a very collaborative environment, and I was impressed by how kind and eager to help people were. I think the studio layout also got me excited about joining the team.”
“Education can be kind of abstract,” Christina said. “How people function as students doesn’t always equate to the professional workplace. The priorities emphasized in the process of developing academic rigor may not be as important in a practical setting. We want to help students see that translation to better enable them with a realistic perspective. During the shadow day, they came up with concepts, explained them to others, and then presented them in front of a group. That was more hands-on than some expected.”
“I hope the students use this experience to further refine their career and educational paths,” Chris said. “I urge all interested students to seek out exploration opportunities because they’re out there, whereas they weren’t 30 years ago. Take advantage of what’s available.”
The Summer Shadow Day provided unique learning sessions, hands-on activities, and team-building opportunities for interested high school and college students; the ThenDesign Architecture professionals developed content tailored for this audience. Sharing their technical expertise and enjoyment for teamwork, the TDA staff demonstrated that a humble professional never stops being a student and should always strive to continue learning.
"It's rewarding to give students opportunities I did not have at their age."
Chris Smith
President
TDA Staff Sharing Their Expertise
You can find out what our interns say about us here.
For more information on our open positions or internship programs, visit our Careers page.
Marc Cebrian
Communications
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Marc Cebrian
Marc has over thirty years of media production experience with a wide variety of storytelling projects that include commercials, documentaries, and live events. He began his career in the feature film and television industry in Los Angeles, California. Naturally driven by a passion for the creative and analytical, he believes that people should be kind to one another, and strives to live by example.
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