Mission

 After earning his Master’s degree, Kompas Fellowship founder John Myefski was awarded the Booth Traveling Fellowship from the University of Michigan and a Fulbright Fellowship through The Royal Danish Academy. These opportunities to study abroad early in his career provided John with invaluable experiences and a strong foundation for his professional journey.

The Kompas Fellowship was born from John's desire to pay it forward—offering emerging architects a similar opportunity for growth and exploration. The fellowship reflects John’s belief in supporting the next generation of design leaders.

The Kompas Fellowship is designed to support recent architecture graduates who are still exploring which direction they want their careers to take. Securing that first position at a firm can be challenging—many practices are hesitant to hire graduates they assume will soon return to school for a Master’s degree. Yet, hands-on experience is often exactly what recent grads need to make informed decisions about their future.

During their term at Myefski Architects, fellows are encouraged to immerse themselves in the culture of a professional architecture firm while also dedicating time to independent research. The experience offers valuable insight into practice and provides space for personal and professional growth.

The Kompas Fellowship offers creative individuals a unique opportunity to gain hands-on professional experience while cultivating their own innovative potential. This immersive program allows fellows to expand their skills beyond the classroom by working side-by-side with architects and designers on active projects.

Fellows dedicate approximately 80% of their time to contributing to real-world work within the firm, and 20% to developing an independent project. After an initial period of learning and observation, each fellow embarks on a self-directed project that explores new ways of thinking and doing.