In 1970, Tarik El-Naggar did not realize it, but he was an architect in the making. A seventh grade student, he constructed a model of Shakespeare's Globe Theater out of cardboard and everyday objects. He would later become the owner of an architecture and interior design firm. Still, there was more to be built. A serendipitous encounter with a professor landed him a teaching position at Andrews University in Michigan. He soon discovered he wanted to build more than buildings: he wanted to build students. Years later, his hometown high school in Indiana asked El-Naggar if wished to teach architecture there. He said yes. And for nine years, he deeply inspired his students in the world of designing. His students claimed all nine awards at the Indiana High School Architectural Design Competition. Five students later went on to pursue degrees in architecture. “You can see it immediately in the way the students address the problems and their solutions, and in the way that they talk about their designs," said Brandon Farley, chair of the architecture competition.

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