Danielle Mitchell is an incoming freshman at Cornell University. She became interested in architecture at an early age but her passion for design blossomed in tenth grade when she entered an architecture class. She attended a four-week architecture program which helped solidify in her passion. Danielle attended Cornell University’s virtual summer architecture program in which she gained an immense amount of experience and learned what it would be like to major in architecture. Danielle enjoys reading and playing tennis, both of which she plans to continue pursing at Cornell.
Geremiah Tallas is a first-year architecture student at San Antonio College on the path to transfer to Cornell University. Prior to his architectural endeavors, he served in the U.S. Army for five years as a combat medic. Although he considers his experience in the army little to do with architecture, it shifted his perspective to see the world through a multicultural lens. It allowed him to experience the importance of diversity and sharing his Native American heritage. He wishes to bring this understanding into his own approach of architecture.
Geremiah’s scholarship is supported by Safdie Architects.
Omar Leon is a first-generation student who will be attending Cornell University to pursue his 5-year Bachelors of Architecture degree. He was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to Miami at the age of seven. During his high school career, he was the President of the National Honor Society, Vice President of the Architecture Club, and active member of the Spanish and French Honor Societies. Omar was the winner of the Miami Beach Parklet design and construction competition. He also received gold and silver Scholastic Awards for writing, painting, and architecture. Omar was hand-selected to receive a full scholarship to Parsons New School of Design Pre-College to study fashion construction.
Omar also volunteered as a camp counselor in his neighborhood. His passion for helping the community led him to initiate a service project collecting art supplies for 40 underprivileged children in a shelter in his hometown in Colombia where he held art classes for two consecutive summers. He continued his commitment to the shelter and used his love for art and design to beautify the entrance with a mural.
Omar hopes to use architecture as a medium for aiding underrepresented communities.
Omar’s scholarship is funded by the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network, an AIA Knowledge Community.
It has been my dream to attend Cornell so that I could one day become a humanitarian architect. My 3 years of work on my district’s Superintendent Student Advisory Board, founding of a community service club at my school, and time at both Rice’s and Cornell’s summer architecture programs solidified my passions. Tireless hours spent doing research, zealous networking with students and professionals, and the benevolence of those interested in me along my path have taught me invaluable lessons about life and how to achieve one’s dreams.
As a result, I owe it those experiences to be in the position I am today. I have been able to achieve my dream of being accepted into Cornell and now I am onto the next step on my path.
My passion to create better buildings for those who need it most, understand others so that I may help craft a more benevolent world, and design for the future are what drive me the most. I cannot thank the Architects Foundation enough for giving me the opportunity to continue to pursue my dreams.
Michael “Grant” Stokes is a rising freshman at Cornell University, where he plans to study architecture. Grant graduated with honors from Davidson Fine Arts in Augusta, GA with concentrations in piano, ceramics, and costume design.
Grant was co-president of the Red Cross Youth Board, served on the CSRA Community Foundation Grant Committee, and was a member of the golf team.
I was born in Santiago, Chile to two Chilean parents but moved to the United States at a young age due to a promotion in my father’s position at the company where he worked.
I was interested in art from a young age but I started to become interested particularly in architecture around the end of middle school and decided to apply to Design and Architecture Senior High. During high school, I did my best to involve myself in the subjects I am passionate about by taking multiple classes related to art and architecture such as art history, painting, drawing, AutoCAD 2D design and 3D design. At the end of my sophomore year I was given a full scholarship to attend a pre-college program at the School Of Visual Arts where I took a sculpture class and was able to experiment with clay, plaster, woodworking and more. When I returned to my high school I was part of the Young Designers Consortium and helped set up an exhibition displaying the experiences and work of students who attended the School of Visual Arts Pre-college. I also attended a pre-college program at Cornell University where I participated in a design immersion program that focused on product, interior, branding, packaging, and exhibit design.
Throughout the past few years I have also tried to involve myself in multiple clubs such as the National Honor Society, Architecture Club, National Science Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and Future Educators of America. I am currently the historian for National Honor Society and I am in charge of finding community service opportunities for members, and tracking their activity in the club, and I also co-coordinated the school’s food drive, and participated in toy drive, and tutoring. I am also currently the co-treasurer of Architecture Club.
I also participated in the ACE (Architecture-Construction-Engineering) Mentorship Program where I was able to design an event space in Design District with other students and under the guidance of professional architects from Coastal Construction.
Some of my recent awards include Scholastics Regional Gold Key, Silver Key and two Honorable Mentions, AIA Student of the Year, National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar, AP Scholar of Distinction, AP Studio Art Award of Excellence and AP Calculus AB Award of Excellence.
I have also been an intern at Glottman, a design firm and shop in Wynwood, for the past eight months. In the fall, I will be starting classes at Cornell University to earn my Bachelors of Architecture.