Learn Rhino 3D for Architecture & Design – Beginner to Intermediate Lessons with an Architecture Educator, Certified Digital Fabrication Specialist, and 12-Year Teaching Pro

Find out more about Crystal

• 1) Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  I was in kindergarten when I had my first encounter with a computer. They walked us down to a lab filled with these huge machines-towering boxes that looked like refrigerators. We were tasked with writing a story using a program I can't quite remember, but the experience was unforgettable. For the first time, I realized I could bring my imagination to life. I created a story about a tree with a rabbit hole, an owl, and a girl who traveled into a magical world. That day, I discovered that computers could be portals for storytelling, design, and creativity-and I've been hooked ever since.

• 2) What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  The most significant shift for me was learning and mastering Rhinoceros (Rhino) 3D modeling software. As a student, I found it intimidating. But I knew if I could learn it deeply, I could help spare others the overwhelming learning curve. That desire turned into a passion-helping others focus on their big design ideas, rather than struggling with the keystrokes.
  
  Another turning point was the shift to online teaching during the pandemic. I began recording tutorials and realized how powerful and far-reaching digital education could be. That experience changed how I teach-and how I connect.

• 3) Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  My core expertise lies in digital design fabrication in architecture, with a focus in Rhino, and teaching digital design workflows to students who often feel overwhelmed by technology. What began as a survival skill in grad school became a mission: to demystify complex tools and empower others to express their ideas with confidence.
  
  In a world increasingly driven by visual communication and digital fabrication, knowing how to "speak" computer fluently-whether through 3D modeling or design thinking-is no longer optional. It's essential.

• 4) Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  While I respect those figures, my personal inspiration has always been Zaha Hadid. As the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize in Architecture in 2004, she broke barriers-not just in gender, but in design language. Her visionary, gravity-defying work and her journey as an Iraqi-born woman succeeding in a male-dominated field showed me that the impossible is achievable. She taught me that identity, creativity, and ambition can coexist and thrive, and her influence continues to shape the way I teach and design.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  When I was learning Rhino, I remember staying up late, completely lost and frustrated. It felt like learning a new language. But once it clicked, it was like unlocking a superpower. That moment stayed with me-and now, when I teach students struggling with the same tool, I can say with total honesty, "I've been there." It builds trust. One of my students once told me, "You make it feel possible," and that remains one of the best compliments I've received.

• 6) What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  I'd say this: learning technology is like learning a language. At first, it's just noise-keystrokes, shapes, unfamiliar commands. But if you stick with it, you'll soon be forming sentences, then paragraphs. Eventually, you'll be speaking poetry with your computer mouse. It's not about perfection. It's about progress-and I'm here to walk with you every step of the way.

• 7) What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  My lifelong passion is architecture and art-creating meaningful spaces and guiding others to find their creative voice. Teaching is deeply personal to me. I've been mentored by professors who saw something in me during the hardest chapters of my life. I teach because I want to pay that forward. I also lead international student tours, and I'm passionate about cultural exchange and language learning-especially working with ESL students who are also navigating these fields.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof in IT?

  I've walked the same paths as my students-through confusion, frustration, and finally, discovery. Whether it's helping someone master 3D modeling or guiding an ESL student through architecture in a second language, I know how to break concepts down, build confidence, and connect. My approach is empathetic, practical, and always student-centered. That's what makes me a Superprof.