Chime In I Aided Afghan Refugees—With my Interior Design Skills Stories You May Like How Well Does the U.S. Care for Its Veterans? An Expert Weighs In In the Wake of War, Alum Works to Ensure There’s ‘No One Left Behind’ James Larison ’70, PhD ’01, Reflects on his Career as a Nature Filmmaker On the Hill, I studied in Human Ecology and served in Army ROTC. A humanitarian crisis brought those two worlds together By Veronica Yambrovich ’13 In October 2021, I was cozied up in my hotel in downtown Doha, Qatar, enjoying a room-service dessert called Umm Ali. I marveled at the unpredictability of life—how I never thought I would be using my skills as an interior designer to benefit thousands of people in crisis. I’m an engineer officer, Captain rank, in the U.S. Army. I am a Reservist, and my civilian job is as an interior designer. On my first deployment, in May 2021, I was based in the Middle East, at Camp Buehring in Kuwait. My unit was a small, eight-person team called a FEST-A (Forward Engineer Support Team—Advance). The team had various civilian experiences in engineering disciplines, architecture, and interior design. Our job was to provide design and drafting expertise to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for projects throughout the Middle East. At Cornell, I’d majored in design and environmental analysis in Human Ecology and won an Army ROTC scholarship—and I thought those two careers wouldn’t mix. Interior designers aren’t usually clamoring to join the Army, and I haven’t yet met another one in the active service. Interior designers aren’t usually clamoring to join the Army, and I haven’t yet met another one in the active service. When I discovered that I could use my civilian skills in an Army job, I wanted to be a part of this team. I was in Qatar to improve the design of facilities for incoming U.S. soldiers and Afghan refugees. Afghanistan had fallen swiftly to the Taliban in late August 2021. Afghanis were desperate to leave their country, and they crowded the Kabul airport trying to evacuate. Most of the construction-based Army Engineer units were directed to begin work on housing and resources for refugees. In a matter of weeks, what used to be moon-dust sand and rocky open space on our post in Kuwait was transformed into temporary facilities for 5,000 refugees. Yambrovich (center) discusses cost estimates and troop housing renovations with military colleagues. The next couple of weeks were frantic, as the situation and direction from the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments changed daily. I was the sole engineer for refugee facility design across two countries, Qatar and Kuwait. These facilities were either existing buildings or new 20-by-40-foot arched tents with modular flooring. Both types used plywood walls, sans paint or finish. Doors could not be delivered in time, so we initially used shower curtains. I proposed furniture and made suggestions for individual lockers so people could secure their few possessions. Stories You May Like How Well Does the U.S. Care for Its Veterans? An Expert Weighs In In the Wake of War, Alum Works to Ensure There’s ‘No One Left Behind’ Soon afterward, I was sent to Qatar to survey, design, and improve the facilities there. My other projects on deployment took me to Iraq and Syria, for building renovations and improvements for NATO forces or U.S. Special Forces. I most enjoyed bringing smart design to situations where it would be overlooked. I made lighting plans and worked with electricians in the construction units to specify available fixtures. Solutions were spartan; the priority was on how fast we could deliver facilities with the right levels of privacy, security, and egress. I was the sole engineer for refugee facility design across two countries, Qatar and Kuwait. When the frenzy of construction was complete, a teammate and I went to check on the projects. We saw children playing soccer in the roads that didn’t exist weeks before. We saw families with pieces of luggage, walking between tents. Men were getting water or washing up. I was beside myself with the realization that I was living in the headlines, in current events. I was witnessing families who had risked their lives to leave and had no idea what was going to happen next. All that mattered was that they were safe. People whom we could have decided were so far removed from us—so far away they didn’t matter—were here hugging their families in front of me. The experience made the point that, yes: it’s a small world after all. About to board a private jet for a site visit in Qatar. Examples of this include helping with a dental clinic renovation that maximized the number of exam rooms and improved the flow of tool sanitization, and detailing the seating in a tactical operations center, so the unit could better work and communicate. I am appreciative to my leadership for valuing interior design, and encouraging me to educate the other engineers on space planning and life safety analysis, so we could provide facilities that are functional and safe. Interior design is not reserved for swanky hotels or flashy office buildings. Thoughtful and effective design is for everyone—even in unimaginable circumstances. In addition to her service in the Army Reserves, Veronica Yambrovich ’13 is a registered interior designer who runs her own practice, Formation Interiors, LLC, in Saint Petersburg, FL. She enjoys the Tampa Bay lifestyle, and in her free time sails boats and frequents the beach. When looking for a change of scenery, she and her fiancé hike and camp in national and state parks. (All images provided.) Published February 8, 2023 Comments Ben Rockey-Harris, Class of 2004 5 Mar, 2023 Interesting and illuminating story, thanks for sharing! Reply Michelle, Class of 1994 5 Mar, 2023 Fascinating read, thank you for sharing Reply Lynn Freligh, Class of 1970 6 Mar, 2023 Thank you so much for sharing this with us! It’s so good to know that this kind of work is going on – to improve people’s lives – in places otherwise defined as ruined and hopeless, filled with war that brings only misery and tragedy. A really good example of, “No one can do everything, – but we can all do SOMETHING.” Thanks again! Reply Vince Yambrovich, Class of 1900 6 Nov, 2023 I am VERY proud of you Veronica‼️ Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni Alum Memorialized with Campaign to Promote His Made-Up Word Alumni Bagels Over Berkeley: Alum Engineers a Noshing Empire Alumni ‘Expect the Unexpected,’ Fauci Tells Weill Cornell Medicine Students