By AIA Northern Nevada
HISTORY
The AIA Northern Nevada’s Scholarship Program was established in 1994 by local architects who wished to reach out to students and support their development into architects. The Chapter has been awarding scholarships in varying amounts each year since 1995. All Scholarships are awarded to students in May / June each year and then applied towards tuition for the following school year.
THE GRAHAM ERSKINE SCHOLARSHIP:
The Graham Erskine Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Graham Erskine, renowned Reno architect and author of Nevada’s Licensing Act. Graham Erskine worked in Reno from 1946 until his death in 1991 and designed a number of landmark buildings including schools, hospitals and public buildings.
The Graham Erskine Scholarship has been awarded since 1995. We require that the applicant be a second year or above, full-time student, enrolled in a NAAB accredited Architecture Program.
THE RAYMOND HELLMANN SCHOLARSHIP:
In 2003, the chapter established a second scholarship program in memory of Raymond Hellmann, prominent Reno architect. Raymond Hellmann won several awards for his design work and service to the architectural community. He is known for his Hamilton Manufacturing Facility building and the Fleischmann Planetarium at University of Nevada, Reno. In 1995 he also won the AIA Nevada Silver Medal.
As the AIA Northern Nevada’s geographical area does not have its own NAAB accredited school, The Hellmann Memorial Scholarship is awarded to final year high school students accepted into NAAB accredited architecture programs and the Architectural Design Program at TMCC.
GRACE BROOKS
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
Erskine Award: $2000.00
My name is Grace Brooks and I have chosen architecture as my avenue for making an impact. It is through Montana State’s program that I have gained an appreciation of design and the impact architects can have on the world around us. I want to be an architect because I want to create places where people can tell their stories. I want to blur the boundary between what already exists and what is yet to be home. I want to make an impact on this world. I want to make an impact in someone else’s life. I want to write my portion of the story of humanity.
JORDYN VOSS
California Polytechnic University
San Luis Obispo, California
Erskine Award: $2000.00
I am currently a 5th year student at California Polytechnic State University studying Architecture with a minor in Environmental Sustainability. Entering into our thesis year I am exploring architecture in the context of perception and experience utilizing pattern as a formal generator to alter and exploit interaction within the built environment. Outside of studio I am involved with Orchesis, Cal Poly’s Dance Company and having been born and raised in the Sierra Nevadas can also be found hiking the Morros or exploring the multitude of beach towns that surround us. After graduation I hope to further my education and earn my license to further pursue the field of architecture.
ERIC KUHN
University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
Erskine Award: $1500.00
I grew up in Reno, Nevada – the biggest little city in the world! Sketching and architecture go hand in hand and that was my sole connection to the design world when I went to school. I quickly fell in love with designing buildings and the collaborative environment of the architecture school studio space. I like working in the shop – wood, steel, and cast concrete have all been good avenues for my creative endeavours making models, planters, benches, boxes, etc. I always enjoy catching the latest ‘This American Life’ podcast because of the storytelling and the personal connection. I enjoy building those connections amongst the large teams of designers and consultants who imagine and construct the built environment. I love learning, and it seems like in this field, we do more and more everyday – it’s what keeps me coming back for more, ready and excited!
RYAN LEW
University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
Erskine Award: $1500.00
Hi, my name is Ryan Lew and I am currently a 3rd year Architecture student at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo; minoring in sustainable environments and architectural engineering. We as architects have a large impact on the natural and built environment which is why I plan to continue to design with sustainability in mind and focusing on the connection between the built and the existing. I am also interested in structure and understanding the constructibility of a design. Lastly I am very much infatuated with the interior and how we as people experience space and interior design that promotes thought and emotion, which greatly has influenced my work so far in school and hopefully the rest of my career.
TOMERA LARAE
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Erskine Award: $1000.00
I am currently a first-year graduate student at the University of Idaho, having graduated with my bachelor’s degree in May of 2020. Attending college has provided me with many opportunities, including traveling to Africa, China, and Canada. I have also been an active member of the University of Idaho’s AIAS Chapter since 2018 and now serve as Social Media Director. AIAS has not only helped me be a part of a better studio culture but has also helped me connect with others and see the kind of future I want to have in architecture. I would like to be involved with adaptive reuse and creating ethically and sustainably responsible housing.
MARY KASTERKO
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
Hellmann Award $500.00
Hello! My name is Mary Kasterko. I am from Reno, Nevada, and I’m attending Montana State University in Bozeman. I was most attracted to MSU due to its six-year master’s degree architecture program. With this being so attractive to me, I also wanted to study interior design and obtain an associate degree to partner with my architecture degree. I plan to further my architectural career by taking an internship during my time at MSU. Once I graduate, I want to take my degree and move to the east coast to start my architecture firm with an interior design aspect. Architecture inspires me in different ways. I want to impact the way people live their daily lives by creating innovative structures that work together with the environment. I am so thankful to be awarded the 2020 Raymond Hellmann Memorial Scholarship by the AIA Northern Nevada.
