Council of Fellows Scholarships

About the Program −

The Council of Fellows scholarship program was founded in 2004 to:

aid outstanding students who would not otherwise have an opportunity to continue a professional degree program due to unmet financial need;
increase the interest and participation of economically disadvantaged and under-represented populations in the study of landscape architecture; and
enrich the profession of landscape architecture through a more diverse population.

Since the scholarship program’s inception, the Council has awarded forty students from over twenty programs across the country. The students have had the opportunity to attend the annual conference where they have networked with members, attended education sessions and special events such as the award ceremonies and the investiture dinner. The students regularly attend the Fellows business meeting where they receive their certificates.

Donate to the Scholarship Program +

Your financial support of the scholarship program is essential to meet our goal and ensure we provide the next generation with the funds they need to continue their education.

Council of Fellows Scholarship Winners

Your Support Matters.

Your donation to the Council of Fellows Scholarship Program directly supports the annual winners, empowering deserving students to pursue their landscape architecture education and fostering a more diverse profession.

To see the impact of these awards, take a look at past years’ winners by clicking the appropriate link below.

: Congratulations to the 2025 Scholarship Winners!

Isabel Aguilar
BLA, University of Florida
Award: $5,000

Isabel Aguilar is a first-generation American, having moved to the United States at age four with her parents and brother. Their hard work and sacrifices allowed her to pursue her passion for landscape design. She will graduate with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a minor in Urban and Regional Planning. Inspired by her own experiences, Isabel is driven to create sustainable, community-centered designs that prioritize the needs of underserved populations. She aims to work in urban environments to develop innovative, resilient spaces that benefit both the environment and Latinx communities. Her ultimate hope is that her future work will inspire more first-generation Latino students to pursue careers in design and planning, contributing to equitable and sustainable development. Adaptive, energetic, and empathetic, Isabel aspires to craft spaces that foster ecological health, cultural identity, and social equity, ensuring a lasting impact for generations to come.

Rekiyah Bobbitt
BLA, North Carolina A&T State University
Award: $5,000

Rekiyah Bobbitt is a dedicated designer and community leader committed to transforming underinvested urban environments into vibrant, inclusive spaces. A native of Chicago’s South Side, Rekiyah draws inspiration from her own neighborhood’s challenges and beauty. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a minor in Community Development, with a strong focus on environmental justice and public health. Rekiyah’s work centers on creating spaces that affirm Black identity and support holistic community wellness. Her design philosophy is rooted in collaboration, equity, and cultural celebration, and she hopes to lead projects that reconnect communities with nature while addressing systemic disparities. Rekiyah aspires to be a changemaker—using landscape architecture to empower young people, honor heritage, and foster sustainable growth in cities like her own.

Ahmaud Carroll-Tubbs
BLA, Ball State University
Award: $10,000

Ahmaud Carroll-Tubbs is a fourth-year landscape architecture student at Ball State University with a deep passion for art and design. Growing up, he explored creative outlets like drawing, painting, and model making, which ultimately led him to discover architecture in eighth grade. While initially pursuing architecture at Ball State, he found his true calling in landscape architecture, which embodied his love for the outdoors and his desire to create meaningful spaces. Ahmaud has gained valuable experience in heritage preservation and landscape design through internships with Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program and V3 Companies. He is an active member of SCASLA, NOMAS, and A.C.E. and has presented internationally at the Alliance for Historic Preservation Conference in Toronto. Ahmaud values representation and strives to be a role model for young Black professionals.

Crystal Carbajal Castillo
BLA, Cal Poly Pomona
Award: $5,000

Crystal Carbajal Castillo is a proud daughter of immigrants and a passionate advocate for equity in the built environment. Growing up in a small agricultural town in California, she developed a deep respect for land, water, and community—values that continue to shape her approach to design. Crystal is currently pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture, where she explores how culturally rooted landscapes and equitable green infrastructure can uplift underserved communities. With a background in social justice and design justice, she is especially committed to amplifying the voices of historically marginalized groups in planning processes. Crystal aims to use landscape architecture as a tool to heal, empower, and reimagine spaces for future generations, particularly in communities of color. She believes that design can serve as a powerful agent for environmental justice and cultural resilience.
: Congratulations to the 2024 Scholarship Winners!

Carington Light
BLA, North Carolina A&T State University
Award: $10,000
Carington Light is a graduating senior at North Carolina A&T State University. As a kid she traveled to multiple National Park Services; growing her appreciation for nature and what it can provide. She wants others to see that nature is more than seasonal allergies and bugs. One of her career goals is to inspire other young landscape architect students. With her love for nature comes her love for plants. She doesn't have a great green thumb but tries her best when it comes to gardening.

Aisha Malik
BLA, University of Rhode Island
Award: $5,000
Aisha Malik is a Pakistani & Ukrainian female first-generation American and college student from Fairbanks Alaska, attending the University of Rhode Island for her BLA in Landscape Architecture. She plans to work as a landscape architect in Alaska, helping the Arctic climate crisis through sustainable outdoor design. With Landscape Architecture being a relatively small field in Alaska, Aisha intends to bring awareness toward the profession as well. Additionally, she enjoys making art inspired by Alaska’s vast landscapes, rock climbing, fishing, gardening, and hiking!

Juan Perez
BLA, University of Florida
Award: $5,000
Juan Perez is an interdisciplinary designer studying landscape architecture and philosophy at the University of Florida. He focuses on the dynamic interplay of design, culture, and environment. As a first-generation American and college student, Juan is dedicated to exploring the ethical dimensions of computational, parametric, and AI-driven solutions in promoting equity, social diversity, and biodiversity. In his design philosophy, he prioritizes empathy, curiosity, and versatility.

Essince Smith
BLA, Ball State University
Award: $5,000
Essince Smith (she/her) is a fifth-year landscape architecture student at Ball State University - College of Architecture and Planning who thrives on collaborative endeavors. She actively engages in community initiatives such as volunteering with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. —a youth organization dedicated to sustainable community development. In this role, she contributes to tree planting, watering, and maintenance in local neighborhoods. In leadership positions, she has served as a resident assistant and event coordinator for Student Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects and volunteer for the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Her interactions with like-minded individuals passionate about shaping the future as designers fuel her enthusiasm. Eager to make a positive impact, Essince is proud to be a part of future designers realizing and shaping meaningful changes in the world. Her outgoing and optimistic nature, coupled with a unique perspective, defines her approach. She aspires to contribute her design skills to a team with an open mindset and lofty expectations for creating a better world.

Ava Yon
BLA, Michigan State University
Award: $5,000
Ava Yon is a second year student in the program and involves herself in MiASLA and the MSU LA Club. She graduated from Fowlerville High School in 2021 and started at MSU right away. She enjoys trying new things and visiting new places. Ava is passionate about her work and is always eager to learn more. One day Ava hopes to give back to communities the way they have given to her.
: Congratulations to the 2023 Scholarship Winners!

Javiera Diaz-Ortiz
BLA, University of Maryland
Award: $10,000
Javiera is a senior at the University of Maryland pursuing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.) and a minor in Sustainability Studies. She is the President of UMD’s SASLA, which is the student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Through SASLA, Javiera enjoys helping to foster a sense of community among students, as well as creating professional development opportunities for the program. She is also involved in a professional environmental fraternity through which she has the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in service and professional projects. She entered the field of landscape architecture through an interest in environmental conservation, and she has held internships at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Sun Nurseries, and Norton Land Design, a landscape architecture and environmental planning firm. After graduation, she wishes to pursue landscape architecture with special interests in environmental restoration, community engagement, and inclusive design.

Adriel Jimenez
BLA, University of Florida
Award: $5,000
Adriel, a is Landscape Architecture student with interests to design for the environment and revitalizing ecosystems, low-income housing communities, community gardens, and educational centers, and improving the water quality on a grand scale; through the use of 3D modeling programs, data from GIS, CAD, and research acquired on the sites. His path began with Miami Dade College, during which he won awards from competitions and volunteer service, and then further developed his style of design further developed in Florida International University and at the University of Florida. Currently undertaking a grand scale project (25-mile-long 3D model) involving Sea Level Rise in Biscayne Bay.

Lily Saephan
BLA, Cal Poly Pomona
Award: $5,000
Lily Saephan is an undergraduate Landscape Architecture student studying at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. She grew up in Sacramento, California and comes from South East Asian descent. After finishing her bachelor's degree in landscape architecture with a minor in Regenerative Studies and Management and Leadership, she plans to begin studying for a Masters's in Landscape Architecture. She loves learning about how to design to benefit the environment and educating others on this topic.

Fiorella Sibaja
BLA, University of Arkansas
Award: $5,000
Fiorella Sibaja is a second-year landscape architecture student at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas. She is a motivated student working towards a Landscape Architecture degree and is a hardworking and resourceful individual commended for first-rate collaboration, organizational, and time management abilities. Committed to developing a career path and expanding her work experience to be able to be a successful Hispanic landscape architect and help others in under-represented communities. She is a student with a superior work ethic and good teamwork, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Willing to take on any task to help the team. Reliable and dedicated team player. She enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures, eating delicious food and desserts. She likes baking, listening to music, and watching movies and tv shows. She also enjoys taking pictures, capturing the special moments life has to offer and the beauty of nature. Passionate about being able to create new and improved spaces for people to interact. To be able to improve human and environmental health.
: Congratulations to the 2022 Scholarship Winners!

Naomi Bailey
BLA, Michigan State University
Award: $5,000
Naomi Bailey is a rising African American Landscape Architect student. She grew up on the westside of Detroit, Michigan and later moved to the eastside with her mother and three siblings. She attended East English Village Preparatory High School and later graduated as her class Valedictorian. During her younger years, she has always had a passion in changing thew ay of the world and helping her communities. After coming across the profession, she decided to further her education in the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at Michigan State University. Naomi’s plans after obtaining her bachelors are to pursue her master and to restore minority communities that suffer from deterioration and blight, ultimately creating safe green spaces from people to relax and be open with nature.

Victor Cizik
BLA, University of Connecticut
Award: $10,000
Victor Cizik is a junior at the University of Connecticut. I was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the states when he was around the age of 3. He lived in Florida for about 7 years before moving to Connecticut when he was in middle school. Currently he is pursuing his bachelors for Landscape Architecture at UConn and in the future may pursue his Master's degree. Looking forward, Victor would ideally like to work on projects that deal with streetscape and urban design, specifically designing cities and towns to be more pedestrian friendly and rely less on cars. In his free time he likes to hike, explore with friends, and taking photos on film cameras.

Andrea Fager
BLA, Iowa State University
Award: $5,000
Andrea Fager is a fourth-year student majoring in Landscape Architecture and minoring in Sustainability at Iowa State University. Her educational goal is to receive her Bachelor's in Landscape Architecture before pursuing her Master's in Landscape Architecture after receiving experience in the field. Andrea's career goals are to to focus on environmental reconstruction and restoration. Ecosystems and the natural world are things that she is passionate about, and would like to use the knowledge she has gained from her studies in landscape architecture to make our planet beautiful for humans to use and a place where Earth's natural systems can function. Andrea wants to help fix damaged ecosystems, and knows that with her knowledge in the field, she can aid the ecologists and other teams on the jobs to ensure that the projects get done properly.

Luis Jorge Hernandez
BLA, University of Arkansas
Award: $5,000
Born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Luis is the 2^nd child of two immigrant parents coming from Guadalajara, Mexico. A family of 6, he am a first-generation student, graduating with an associate degree in architectural drafting. Luis hopes to continue pursuing his education in studying landscape architecture and thus lead into becoming a professor in both self-interest and passion to see young individuals find their potential and motivate such students to create unique work in their name. In such profession, he also wishes to see himself deliver work and ideas that can impact communities and individuals for the greater good of preserving history and nature. Where he can venture and explore the possibilities within his own borders and beyond with great potential and reach limitless creativity upon foreign land. To capture and gravitate to their culture and land that has been touched by many landscape architects before.
: Congratulations to the 2021 Scholarship Winners!

Matheus Gomes
BLA, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Award: $5,000
Born in Brazil, Matheus moved to the U.S. at nine years old. He completed the Electrical Program at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School and later worked across Co-operative Programs, landscaping/construction/masonry, freelance graphic design, and landscape design. In his career, he wants to expand resilient gardening in the urban environment with a focus on green infrastructure and food security. He looks forward to establishing community-driven initiatives that promote public health and awareness by combining the sectors of gardening and art.

Walter Hogue
BLA, Mississippi State University
Award: $5,000
Walter is third in a family of fourteen and claims to have been shaped by both the joys and challenges of growing up in such an environment. I have a deep love for art, photography, the outdoors, and design that began to develop in his childhood. After high school he served with Peru Mission in Trujillo, Peru, working for a local carpentry-shop and leading English classes for children and college students. He later enrolled in community college, and then transferred to Mississippi State’s landscape architecture program. He hopes to focus on the planning and development of low-income cities and neighborhoods, particularly in developing nations.

Najla Said Lopez
BLA, University of Florida
Award: $5,000
Najla moved to Miami, Florida in 2015 from Amman-Jordan, where she was born and raised. She got her Associates Degree in Architecture at Miami Dade College. Her experience working for non-profit organizations and in the mental health field developed her love for helping those in need. After spending some time working in horticulture, she developed her love for plants and expanded her plant knowledge. In her career, Najla hopes to have an opportunity where she can give back to the world and society, creating beautiful and meaningful spaces utilizing ecological and equity-based design.

Daniella Slowik
BLA, University of Washington
Award: $10,000
At an early age, Daniella discovered nature’s ability to comfort, inspire, and rejuvenate. She shared that her experience with Tourette's Syndrome has granted her an intriguing blend of tics, curiosity, and challenges, and she has often escaped outside for respite and peace. Deeply embedded into her design values, these memories have greatly influenced her desire to develop symbiotic systems that both restore the health of sensitive ecosystems and invite underrepresented communities to experience the therapeutic benefits of the natural world.
: Congratulations to the 2020 Scholarship Winners!

David Curry
BLA Candidate, North Carolina A&T State University
Award: $5,000
David has been an avid lover of the outdoors since he was young. This love for the outdoors transformed into a passion when he got his Associates in Landscape Gardening at Sandhills Community College. He then interned at a local Nursery. He later decided to pursue a Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture to bring all the considerable plant knowledge he had gained to the design process. After completing his BLA, he intends to work in the industry while gaining his certification before going on to pursue a Master’s degree. He plans to one day open his own firm. He is a lover 3D modeling, as well as a hobbyist in 3D printing. He hopes to combine the two into his future practice.

Courtney Helmliner
BLA Candidate, Ball State University
Award: $5,000
Rain Bird Intelligent Use of Water™ Scholarship: Award: $2,500
Courtney is from St. Marys, OH and graduated from Memorial High School in 2016. At Ball State, she works in the Architecture Library and as a teaching assistant and is minoring in Social and Environmental Justice and Strategic Communications. She has been involved in Women’s Club Soccer, Intramural Soccer, and Global Brigades. Additionally, she likes to hike and travel. Following graduation, she plans to work at a firm and become a licensed PLA. She aims to lead in the field by advocating for the profession and acting as a catalyst for the improvement of under-represented communities through empathy-based, inclusive design.

Aus Perez
BLA Candidate, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Award: $5,000
Aus is a third-year landscape architecture major from Holdrege, Nebraska. Upon graduating, they hope to obtain a Master’s degree in landscape architecture and urban planning. In the future, they hope to become a college professor and pursue their own research goals related to landscape architecture. As a first-generation student, Aus’ college professors have helped them discover their passion for landscape architecture, and Aus cannot wait to help others find their love for this field of study, too. Aus loves exploring new landscapes, going to concerts with their friends, and taking care of all their plants.

Holley Stringham
BLA Candidate, Utah State University
Award: $5,000
Holley grew up near the mountains in Utah, where her love of nature and being outdoors originated. She is currently a Junior at Utah State University in the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning program and has taken an interest in working with local groups to bring about positive community change. She is now working with a nearby refugee and immigrant center to design a community garden and event center. Holley is driven by community engagement and aims to use those interests in her future career in landscape architecture and urban design.