On July 29, the AIANN scholarship committee reviewed and discussed the submittals for the 2022 Ric Licata, Raymond Hellmann, and Graham Erskine Scholarships. Committee members present were Max Hershenow, Greg Erny, Mark Johnson, and Nate Hudson. A total of eight applications were received this year (three for Licata, three for Hellmann, and two for Erskine), an increased amount from what was received last year.
Overall, the committee was impressed by the quality of this year’s applicants and happy with the amount of money offered by the board to award this year. Furthermore, the committee discussed plans to invest the money built into this initiative for long-term prosperity.
After much deliberation between members of the committee regarding the quality of the applicants for this year, we proposed to offer the following amounts:
- Graham Erskine – $ 6,000: $ 5,000 AIANN + $ 1,000 AIA National Match
- Raymond Hellmann – $ 1,500: $ 1,500 AIANN
- Ray Licata – $ 1,000: $ 500 AIANN + $ 500 AIA National Match
Total 2022 Scholarship Funds – $8,500
Ryan Lew Graham Erskine Scholarship Winner, $3,000 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
My name is Ryan Lew; I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. I am currently attending Cal Poly-SLO, majoring in architecture and minoring in architectural engineering as well as sustainable environments. During my time at Cal Poly, I have had leadership roles in AIAS (American Institute of Architecture Students) and NOMAS (National Organization of Minority Architecture Students). While finding my voice within the field of architecture, I have been drawn toward interior design, furniture, and fabrication, all of which propelled me to focus on renovation and reinvention work. I am hopeful to work with existing structures to promote a more sustainable construction practice and enhance the abundant amount of buildings occupying beautiful and rich pieces of land while providing a unique opportunity for creative adaptation to modernize our existing resources. I think the field of architecture as a whole also has a responsibility to question how inhabitants use spaces to provide all the luxuries of comfortable living coupled with function, such as how the home can provide comfort, food, and entertainment in ways it has not previously provided, or in ways we may have forgotten. I am grateful for all the opportunities both Cal Poly and Northern Nevada have provided me, and I am hopeful for the future of my career and the architectural field as a whole.
Grace Brooks Graham Erskine Scholarship Winner, $3,000 Yale University, CT
As I pursue my Master of Architecture at Yale, I am grateful for the unique experience of growing up in the mountains of Northern Nevada. Architecture has taught me an understanding of our place within the built environment, but it is the skiing, hiking, and camping of my youth in Nevada that laid the foundation for the understanding of our place within the natural environment. I see architecture as not the walls we build but the stories we stage. I hope to pursue a career that leaves the world a better place than we found it.
Alex Jenkins Raymond Hellmann Scholarship Winner, $500 Montana State University, MT
As a recent recipient of the Raymond Hellman Memorial Scholarship, I would first like to offer my gratitude for this opportunity and explain how this achievement will enable me with my studies in the architecture field. Architecture is so interesting to me because of the interactions one can give people just by designing a building, park or garden. I also believe it’s important to keep and work with the surrounding environment to allow growth and interaction with nature. I’d like to research and discover more ways to create sustainable buildings so future generations may perhaps experience nature as we did. Or, hopefully, experience it even better. Currently, I am researching how certain sites interact with one another. For example, how a city maintains its infrastructure with streets, highways, public transit, buildings, parking, sewer and drainage, etc. Through my research, I hope to find the most efficient way for a city to be the most sustainable and interactive it can be.
Carlie Wade Raymond Hellmann Scholarship Winner, $500 Truckee Meadows Comm. Coll., NV
Through a rigorous selection process, I was selected to receive a 2022 Raymond Hellmann Memorial Scholarship. Funds for this endowment have come from the friends and family of Raymond Hellmann, AIA, the AIA Northern Nevada members, the AIA National Scholarship Grant program, allied professionals, and individuals interested in the architecture profession for the purpose of recognizing scholastic achievement, demonstrated talent, and potential for success within Northern Nevada’s budding architectural innovators. My interests and ambitions within the profession of architecture have been recognized with this award. I look forward to becoming one of the emerging leaders in the field of architecture.
Olivia Lutz Raymond Hellmann Scholarship Winner, $500 University of Hawaii, HI
I am ecstatic to begin my education in landscape architecture and environmental design. I have spent most of my life living in suburban Reno, NV, but recently moved to Honolulu, HI, to study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I have always been inspired by nature and the adventures it gives us, so I relocated in the hopes of experiencing a new environment. Already, I am amazed by the diversity and intensity of this region and its unique, tropical-urban architecture. I hope to use my degree in environmental design to create more sustainable built environments. After graduating with a bachelor’s in environmental design, I plan to earn my master’s and certification in landscape architecture at Cal Poly.
Lisha Skye Allison Ric Licata Scholarship Winner, $500 Truckee Meadows Community College, NV
I am a full-time college student studying architectural landscaping in Reno, Nevada. The fact that architects have to think about everything when creating structures is fascinating and creates open-mindedness about every little detail one puts into designing. I am motivated to earn two associate degrees, one in Architectural Landscaping and the other in Spanish. I am extremely interested in learning other languages as well. Once I have completed both associate degrees, I will proceed with the Bachelor of Architecture degree at TMCC.Already, I am amazed by the diversity and intensity of this region and its unique, tropical-urban architecture. I hope to use my degree in environmental design to create more sustainable built environments. After graduating with a bachelor’s in environmental design, I plan to earn my master’s and certification in landscape architecture at Cal Poly.
Sharlee Borines Ric Licata Scholarship Winner, $500 Truckee Meadows Community College, NV
I am a 23-year-old student at Truckee Meadows Community College, currently studying to become a Residential Designer. Growing up, I was always more interested in art and history, but after my admission to the University of Nevada-Reno, I began to recognize how my previous interests could play their part in creating structures that would benefit the surrounding population. To me, buildings and structures are physical representations of society being put up for all of history to see how culture and civilization vary from different points in time. One can see how the people of a certain period thought and what they appreciated in their society based on how a building is constructed and its overall composition with the environment around it. After I graduated from the university with a bachelor’s in civil engineering, I chose to continue my education at Truckee Meadows Community College to familiarize myself with the process of designing homes. With my education and experience in the field of Residential Design, I hope to sustainably design homes that emulate their occupants and provide the public with a creation outside normal expectations.
