Scholar since
2022

Scholarship received
2022 Fireclay Tile Diversity Advancement Scholarship

Education

Syracuse University

Hometown
Brooklyn, NY

Oni Thornell is a native New Yorker and a senior at Elisabeth Irwin High school in New York City. She will be attending Syracuse University in the fall of 2022 and majoring in Architecture, a passion of hers. Through the years of attending art programs, she was influenced to not only integrate creative thinking into daily life but to view and solve issues through a non-traditional lens. This has quickly become her motivation to enter the field of Architecture as she wishes to create positive change and growth in different communities. Her experience with social justice-oriented curriculums has also brought a key understanding of intersectionality that will always impact the work she produces.

Although architecture will be Oni’s major, she also enjoys spending her time drawing, painting, and exploring the city. Over the years she has crafted an art portfolio of multiple pieces. She was awarded 2 gold keys, 1 silver key, and three honorable mentions from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, while working towards and obtaining a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. All these experiences have taught her discipline and the importance of perseverance to pursue her aspiration to become an architect and inspiring change.