Anneke Hoskins Path from American Heritage Girls to MSP Employee

And the Family Connection That Led to Our New Front Desk Coordinator

The Early Years

It all started when Anneke was an American Heritage Girl (AHG) working on her architecture merit badge. She was 17 years old and already interested in pursuing architecture as a profession. Her mother, Gretchen Hoskins, was the troop leader. Gretchen began contacting architecture firms and connected with Randy Merrill, executive vice president and MSP Architecture department head. Randy and the department were excited to host an after-hours session to fulfill badge requirements. During that session, they reviewed design processes, looked at finished projects (Butler Tech Bioscience Center was a standout for Anneke), had Q & A time (Anneke asked the most questions), and ate pizza. The next week, they visited a working job site. As a result of that experience, she became even more certain that her future career was in architecture and kept MSP on her radar.

Anneke’s College Experience

Fast forward a few years, and Anneke was an architecture student at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Architecture and Interior Design (SAID) completing her co-op opportunities. Anneke had completed her co-op opportunities stints, but not with MSP who was not in the co-op program at the time. Finally, during her fourth year, MSP appeared on a list for portfolio reviews at UC’s SAIDWorks event, a yearly event targeted to second-year students to make connections with firms for co-op opportunities. Upper-year students were encouraged to attend for networking purposes. When Anneke saw that MSP was participating, she prioritized attending and reconnecting with the firm.

As luck would have it, two of the employees who Anneke had met during her AHG visit were staffing the MSP booth at the SAIDWorks event. They recognized Anneke and were impressed by her portfolio and knowledge base. They encouraged her to contact MSP after graduation. Anneke took their offer seriously and followed up with an email and her resume. The connection paid off, and that summer, she was hired as an employee at MSP Architecture.

Post Graduate Studies

Currently, Anneke is pursuing a Master of Architecture graduate degree from UC. She works when she’s not a full-time student. When asked what makes MSP a great place to work, she answered, “MSP is a wonderful place to work and learn. As a multi-disciplinary firm, I have gotten to experience a little about how each of the different disciplines works on projects. My managers have also taken a vested interest in my goal to become licensed. They have been helping me focus on the experience areas that I need in order to stand for my licensure.

“I feel very welcome and useful here, my co-workers are always very nice and supportive both professionally and personally. Overall, I think the company is an excellent place for young learners of any discipline to gain a good standing in their field and I would recommend anyone to come work here at MSP.”

Gretchen’s Story

Meanwhile, Anneke’s mom Gretchen was considering a career change. A medical issue prevented her from continuing her work as a training manager in the fast-food industry. A nurse by trade, she also didn’t feel like nursing was a good fit at the time. Anneke noticed a front desk coordinator position had become available at MSP and encouraged her mom to apply. Gretchen saw the position as an opportunity to use her customer service and organizational skills, while also gaining experience in new areas. Gretchen joined MSP in 2022 and has been a valuable addition to the team.

While some might find it a challenge to work with a family member, the experience has only enhanced  Anneke and Gretchen’s relationship. Their professional dynamic has been positive, and Gretchen can even ask Anneke technical questions. Additionally, they can have lunch together.

MSP is proud to provide a supportive and welcoming environment for new employees to gain experience and succeed in their field, and we feel fortunate to have both Anneke and Gretchen on our team.