Congratulations to Sustainable Urban Planning (SUP) students Alexander Davis and Courtney Wheeler for receiving the inaugural National Capital Area Chapter of the APA Diversity Fellowship (NCAC-APA).
As recipients of the NCAC-APA Fellowships, Mr. Davis and Ms. Wheeler will each receive an award in the amount of $1,000.00, as well as the support of a professional mentor.
"The National Capital Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) is pleased to present these fellowships to these two outstanding SUP students. We look forward to participating in their growth and development," said Marc Lewis-DeGrace, AICP*, Professional Development Officer-Elect for the National Capital Area Chapter.
The students received notification of the award this fall and will receive the APA Diversity Scholarship towards their fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. This new scholarship supports diversity of the profession, with awards going to a first-year and a second-year student who meet BIPOC diversity criteria (black, Indigenous and people of color).
Mr. Alexander Davis
Sustainable Urban Planning Program
APA Diversity Fellowship Recipient
"I'm excited to receive the APA Diversity Fellowship and appreciate the SUP program for providing me with the opportunity to qualify."
“I'm excited to receive the APA Diversity Fellowship and appreciate the SUP program for providing me with the opportunity to qualify. It is my hope that with this fellowship I'll continue to strengthen and cultivate the necessary planning skills to create equitable spaces for black and brown communities,” wrote Mr. Alexander Davis.
Davis, a second-year student originally from Chicago, currently lives in Washington, D.C. He works for Spin and plans to use his urban planning degree to address social and environmental equity, especially in communities of color.
"It was a pleasant surprise to hear that I was awarded one of the inaugural National Capital Area Chapter-APA Diversity Fellowships. I want to say thank you to the selection committee and I look forward to being an active member of the National Capital Area Chapter."
Ms. Courtney Wheeler
Sustainable Urban Planning Program
APA Diversity Fellowship Recipient
Wheeler, a first-year student from Alaska, currently lives in Washington, D.C. Courtney hopes to use her SUP degree to create choices in and for communities who have few.
Lewis-DeGrace, AICP, encouraged the awardees to participate in NCAC-APA events and to work with him to find appropriate mentors in the planning profession tied to their interests and career goals.
*AICP stands for American Institute of Certified Planner, the main professional designation in the urban planning industry.