El Dorado High School academy inspires students to become architects

El Dorado High School welcomed its first cohort of students this year to the Aztec Architectural Academy, a four-year program.

Currently, about forty students make up the academy, but school officials except the number to double next year.

Cindy Retana, one of the academy’s instructors said the students have already started building models since the start of this summer.

The course will introduce students interior design, construction, civil engineering and architecture.

Retana said the district remodeled some of the classrooms to give students a studio-like environment.

The first cohort got an early start at the academy, they’ve been preparing since the start of the summer with the building of models and visiting the architecture program at El Paso Community College.

Retana said El Dorado is building a partnership with EPCC to eventually help students get class credit that could transfer to EPCC.

This could help students focus on their career goals early in their education.

Retana said this program challenges students academically and to think outside the box.

“It really is about imagination and creating. It’s an art in itself because you inspire these beautiful homes and buildings from the heart and the mind and so that’s a big part of the academy,” Retana said.