In partnership with the Michigan Architectural Foundation, AIA Grand Rapids has selected two Emerging Professionals as Recipients to receive its annual Student Scholarship to assist in continuing their Architectural Educations.
Natalie Musielski (DenBesten) and Ashlynn Tower have both been named as 2024 AIA Grand Rapids Scholarship Recipients.
Outstanding academic records; wide-ranging design impact; promising leadership and management skills; innovative portfolios; passion for the profession; and strong commitment to integrated practice and community involvement. These were among the comments noted by the Scholarship Jury when selecting the 2024 recipients. This year, the number of scholarship applications more than doubled from 2023, with 51 total applications.
The 2024 AIA Grand Rapids scholarship recipients were acknowledged at the MAF ‘Brick by Brick – Foundation for the Future,’ a benefit fundraiser supporting the AIA Grand Rapids Student Scholarship Endowment. The event, which took place at the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Cook Auditorium, netted an estimated $14,000 for the scholarship endowment.
The AIA Grand Rapids Graduate Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 was awarded to Natalie Musielski (DenBesten), a graduate student at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. Natalie has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Sustainability from Ferris State University. She is passionate about sustainability and the positive psychological effects designed spaces can have on people. Her community involvement made her a top choice for this award.
The AIA Grand Rapids Undergraduate Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 was awarded to Ashlynn Tower, a senior at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Ashlynn is an active member of the event planning committee for the university’s chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). She was honored to receive a scholarship from AIA Grand Rapids, an award that has been instrumental in supporting her in her academic endeavors. This past summer, Ashlynn gained professional experience during an internship at Mathison | Mathison Architects in Grand Rapids. Her passion for architecture stems from a lifelong fascination with design and logical problem-solving, initially sparked by an early admiration for Antoni Gaudí and his iconic work, the Sagrada Familia. Reflecting on her academic and professional journey thus far, Ashlynn shares, “I love architecture as a profession because it merges creativity with logic in a way that allows us to shape spaces that affect people’s daily lives.” Ashlynn’s community involvement, a top academic record along with excellent references were key reasons she was selected for this scholarship.
Additional fundraising for these Scholarships is earned from the annual AIAGR Golf Outing, which took place on June 20th at Saskatoon Golf Club. On behalf of AIA Grand Rapids, we would like to thank all our Sponsors, Colleagues, and Friends who joined us for our annual AIA Grand Rapids 2024 Golf Outing. Special thanks to our Event Sponsors: Beverage Sponsors – Belden Architectural Elements and Catalyst Partners; Dinner Sponsors – Lumbermen’s + LP SmartSide; Golf Cart Sponsor – Fishbeck; Snack at the Turn Sponsors – EV Construction; Breakfast Sponsors – Millies Engineering Group and Paradigm Design; Closest to the Pin Sponsor – ABD Engineering & Design; Get it on the Green Sponsor – Builders Exchange of Michigan; and our countless Tee Sponsors.
Both Scholarship Recipients will also be honored and celebrated at the upcoming AIA Grand Rapids 2024 Honor Awards Celebration held on October 30th at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. Please plan to join us as we celebrate and honor Natalie and Ashlynn!