Hello! My name is Julien Derroitte. I am a junior at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, but grew up in Chicago, IL, attending the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. My passion for architecture and urbanism began in my youth—enamored with sketching the world around me. Growing up in a big city, however, inequalities spoke volumes about the state of both the United States and the world. In turn, I began writing scholarly essays dissenting the causes at the root of these critical issues. In college, I am further pursuing these interests, and am developing a portfolio of architectural, infrastructural, and political work. In addition, I am participating in undergraduate political research.