CBC brings you stories from HERstory in Black: Profiling KPMB Architect Camille Mitchell

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In honour of Black History month, CBC brings you stories from HERstory in Black, a Toronto-based digital photo series profiling 150 black women from the GTA and other parts of Ontario by How She Hustles, a network of 5,000 diverse women.

Who: Camille Mitchell

What she does: Camille is an architect with Toronto firm KPMB.  She’s an advocate of equality in her field through the organization BEAT, which offers mentoring and networking to women in architecture and she is tapping into diverse communities through youth mentoring.

What inspired you to pursue architecture?  

Camille Mitchell: Growing up, I always had an interest in art and math. Architecture seemed like a healthy balance, but also my father was a draftsman. So, through his influence it was a good segue into a career.

What do you hope people take away from the photos of women featured in HERstory in Black?

Camille Mitchell:  For myself, nothing has been impossible in terms of this profession. I’ve had great opportunities, I’ve had great work experiences and I’ve had great constructive criticism along the way. So, I think it goes back to exposure of the profession. Architects sort of have that control from afar to design and shape your space and we all experience space, whether it’s your home or your workplace. So it is a valid profession to introduce to the next generation, especially minority children too, because at the end of the day why not be involved in something that we experience daily?