Global Lessons, Lifelong Impact: Taubman College students Ravi Kumar, M.Arch ’26, and Cayla Ellis, M.Arch ’26, get international experience with Longo Internship.

Master of Architecture students Ravi Kumar and Cayla Ellis spent the summer in Kigali, Rwanda, with MASS Design Group as part of the college’s Longo International Architecture Internship program. Kumar, M.Arch ’26, worked on the firm’s Mothers and Children focus area, researching design solutions to reduce maternal and infant mortality and comparing different interventions in the region. Ellis, M.Arch ’26, worked on the Learning and Entrepreneurship focus area, comparing case studies to determine if higher education translated to leadership and entrepreneurship in the workplace. 

The program was established, in part, through a gift that created an endowed fund at Taubman College and was later strengthened with a significant bequest to establish the Longo International Architecture Internship Fund in 2018.

During their internship, Kumar and Ellis benefited from practicing design abroad, visiting a variety of locations, and adapting to cultural differences. “To be able to utilize some of the coursework and skills we’ve gained in a completely new environment was really eye opening,” Kumar says. “There’s a much different scene around design and the built environment, particularly in East Africa. It was really enriching to experience that firsthand.”

Outside of work, Ellis visited the Ellen DeGeneres Campus for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the Mubuga Primary School, and Nyungwe National Park. At the end of their trip, the interns visited Butaro District, home to Butaro District Hospital. The health care and university center provides essential resources for rural Rwandans. “It was really clear that this had become a place for patients to seek reliable care in a locality where that wasn’t an opportunity previously,” Kumar says. “To see the direct impact of design decisions — like certain structuring of the building, external circulation, or outdoor waiting areas — actively in use was enlightening.”

Although Kumar and Ellis worked on different projects, they both worked closely with community members in Kigali. In her spare time, Ellis also played co-ed soccer, a highlight of the trip that also helped introduce her to new people. “Teaching youth how to play further expanded my network and gave me the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of people,” Ellis says.

“I made friends for a lifetime in the league, as they truly cared for me throughout my stay, which was a blessing.”

Based on their experiences in Rwanda, Kumar and Ellis both hope to continue engaging and working with community members and stakeholders closely during the design process after graduation. “Knowing that’s where the true impact lies will continue to impact the way I approach design pursuits, as well as the way I engage with localities I’m working with — the direct users of projects and stakeholders who are meaningful to the project, and who might also not have a voice in a typical design process,” Kumar says.

“This experience made me truly consider the needs of the people prior to designing the output and the importance of research throughout all aspects of the design process,” Ellis says.

— Joshua Nicholson, B.S. Urban Tech ’26

Image: from left: Ravi Kumar, M.Arch ’26. Cayla Ellis, M.Arch ’26.