Lakshita Malhotra first arrived from New Delhi, India, in 2020, set on getting into architecture. WSU’s 4+1 accelerated architecture program and its affordability drew her in.

Michael Sanchez, landscape architecture associate professor at WSU, first met Malhotra during SDC 120, a foundational online drawing class during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Malhotra was devastated to learn she had been offered a place in landscape architecture instead of architecture, she reached out to Sanchez for advice. He encouraged her to pursue it.

“I thought she would do well in it and enjoy it,” Sanchez said.

Malhotra said she took a leap of faith—and she could not have made a better decision. Opportunities like her internship with the Rural Communities Design Initiative helped her explore landscape architecture and discover her passion for designing public places.

“For the public, that is the goal in the end,” she said.

During her first year, Malhotra felt clueless and doubtful of her choice. Landscape architecture felt challenging to her.

“When I thought of spaces, I thought of buildings and what goes inside them and landscape architecture is about designing everything but the building,” she said.

Coming from a big city and a different culture, imagining outdoor spaces felt foreign. Washington’s outdoorsy culture, filled with hiking trails and community parks, took time for her to understand.

Malhotra said her first phase in college felt like getting out of prison. Coming alone from a sheltered environment in India and moving countries brought a lot of change and excitement to make new friends, travel and have new experiences.

If she could give advice to her freshman self, she would urge herself to trust the process and have more confidence.

“Don’t bite more than you can chew,” she said.

Malhotra’s journey was not without disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic after her first semester forced her to return home, completing nearly two semesters online.

“I felt like I [was] not getting the full exposure,” she said.

Once back in Pullman, Malhotra said she became more intentional about her academics and social life. She took a job on campus, socialized meaningfully and took on leadership roles, including serving as the Indian Student Association’s vice president. All these choices helped her make the friends she is still in contact with today.

Sanchez, also the RCDI co-director, mentored Malhotra through her internship as well as in three construction classes. He recalled an RCDI project on the west side for a fire station and Malhotra’s above-and-beyond efforts creating several alternative layouts that greatly helped their client. He said this experience helped her mature as a designer.

By her senior year, Malhotra had fully embraced her decision.

“I have learned to be friends with the major and be more open-minded,” she said.

Malhotra mentioned her recent capstone project, centered on the Upper Columbia Basin, a historically significant area for 14 tribes impacted by the Grand Coulee Dam. She is creating a seven-generation strategy to help tribes reclaim the land, values and culture embedded there. She said this project is the culmination of the skillset she has gained over the past four years, her internship and her future goals.

Sanchez said he attended a rehearsal for her capstone presentation in a class of just 21 students.

“They all did well, but she was one of the three students I was very impressed with. The quality of her work was just a level above most seniors,” he said.

As Malhotra took more classes in landscape architecture, she said she started looking at her surroundings from a designer’s lens. Among her courses, she particularly enjoyed taking construction classes, where she learned about different materials and created a full construction set.

“I think the most fun part is designing something and then building it as a team,” she said.

Malhotra also recalled the significant role Sanchez played in mentoring her and giving her direction. When she did not know many people in Pullman, Sanchez and his family would have her over for Thanksgiving dinner and other occasions, helping her feel welcomed.

Sanchez said his time at WSU has been more special because of her and he is excited for her next chapter.

“I am definitely going to miss her,” Sanchez said.

Outside the classroom, Malhotra found friends who supported her through highs and lows. She said there have been many people who helped her make her journey a success.

“I couldn’t be more grateful,” she said.

Fellow architecture student Rashi Rane became her studio buddy, sharing countless late-night studio sessions and software skills.

Malhotra said she will miss hanging out with friends after class, studying at the Chinook and cooking Indian cuisine with friends on weekends.

“It’s a mixed emotion. I’m super excited to get out of here but also super nostalgic,” she said.

Sanchez said Malhotra’s work with RCDI, along with her experience in parks and recreation and open-space plans, helped her land an internship with SCJ Alliance. Her work did not go unnoticed — SCJ Alliance offered her a full-time job and sponsored her visa requirements to ensure she could join their team.

“Her ability to get this job speaks to the type of designer she is,” Sanchez said. “She thinks quickly on her feet, she always gets the work done and she is the type of designer who can get whatever she wants.”

When Malhotra secured her internship, she decided it was time to transition into adulthood. She said she is calmer and more disciplined now compared to when she arrived at 19.

Following her graduation, she plans to travel with her parents before moving to Seattle to begin her job as a landscape designer. She hopes to be involved in public projects and help build spaces that are inclusive to all.

She said it will be her first time living alone without a roommate and she is excited about moving into her new studio apartment.

“I have to figure out what I’m gonna do after work since I don’t have any homework, so that is a stretch I am very ready to take,” Malhotra said.