During her senior year of high school, Madison Fischer made an unexpected change from pursing medicine to architecture. After realizing that becoming a doctor was not the right career path for her, architecture was the career that she kept coming back to. “I have always been a very creative yet logical person, so architecture seemed to be the perfect career for me,” said Madison. “Thankfully, I was right and changing paths has become one of the most positive life-changing decisions I have ever made.”
Madison is 2026 recipient of the Professional Concepts Insurance Agency (PCIA) Scholarship, which recognizes and provides financial assistance to individuals with exemplary community involvement. For her, winning an MAF scholarship feels like a sincere recognition of the effort she has been putting into her education. Madison expressed that she has realized how much she has accomplished, “Sometimes it is easy to get lost in yourself from constantly trying to do better and improve, but this scholarship feels like a moment to take a step back and look at how far I’ve come.
As a current Master of Architecture student at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture and Community Development, Madison has had opportunities to learn and grow in the field of architecture. Through study abroad opportunities, she has been able to experience different cultures and the way she sees the world has evolved. She has also been able to join various student organizations that have allowed her to network and gain valuable experience in leadership.
What does Madison love most about architecture? “Architecture is everywhere and it has a great effect on people’s experience in the world. I love how deeply it influences lives, whether people realize it or not. It can alter the way someone experiences an event depending on how they feel in a space, and it can affect people both emotionally and physically.”
Madison currently has an interest in historic preservation and would love to help protect and conserve important pieces of history. Her interest became clear after visiting Europe and becoming inspired by historic architecture and architects like Antoni Gaudi.
As part of their MAF Scholarship application, students must include a personal statement describing their interest, experience and plans related to architecture, and their leadership and extracurricular activities. In her application, Madison expressed that while architecture was not initially her first choice, she has has discovered profound meaning and passion for architecture. As well, her completed bachelor’s degree minors in psychology and leadership have presented opportunities that have allowed for understanding both herself and the world around her.
Students are also required to submit a personal portfolio with their application. Madison included work from her undergraduate degree, which featured projects from her study abroad experience in Poland. The portfolio consisted of architectural design, urban design, and interior design projects, as well as building sketches using different mediums including watercolor and pastels.
Michigan Architectural Foundation’s mission is to advance awareness of how architecture enriches life. How does Madison think architecture enriches life? “Architecture enriches life by influencing how we experience the world around us. It is an integral part of our daily lives and many of our experiences in life involve architecture. I also feel that architecture can be seen as something that provides space to foster meaning in our lives through individual experience.”