Students Selected for the Third Cohort of LAF Ignite

The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) is pleased to announce the third cohort for LAF Ignite, our scholarship-internship-mentorship program for BIPOC students.

Five landscape architecture students have been selected for the third cohort of LAF Ignite. This multi-year program provides participants with an annual $10,000 scholarship, annual paid summer internship, and various forms of mentorship. Each year, new Ignite students are selected to join the program, and participation is ongoing until they have completed their landscape architecture degree.

These new awardees will join eight continuing Ignite students from previous cohorts.

Congratulations and welcome to the third cohort of LAF Ignite!

Brendan Tyler Hall
MLA + Urbanism/Master of Architecture Candidate
Illinois Institute of Technology

Brendan holds an undergraduate degree in political science, with focuses in philosophy, pre-law, and global studies Before embarking on his graduate studies, Brendan worked as a Crime Policy Analyst at the University of Chicago Urban Labs for nearly three years. During this time, he contributed to projects at the intersection of crime and health policy. Brendan's academic and professional endeavors focus on how design interventions in vacant and blighted lots can positively impact underserved communities. His work integrates the principles of design with the social, cultural, and emotional needs of communities. Brendan envisions establishing his own design studio and think tank to innovate urban design strategies and develop public policy research. Beyond academics and profession, Brendan has a profound interest in various forms of design, including fashion, art, music-making, and film. He is actively working on the "Abolish Slavery" project, highlighting social oppression, racism, and discrimination through visual and sonic 
representations.
 

Johnathan Hampton
MLA Candidate
University of Texas at Arlington

Since he was young, Johnathan Hampton has had an interest in plants. However, a lack of green industry educational resources in school proved to be an obstacle to overcome. Johnathan learned to forge his own path, operating a landscaping business in high school and discovering his passion for design, advocacy, and outreach in the process. He nurtured these passions at Auburn University, where he completed a bachelor’s in Horticulture, Pre-Landscape Architecture. During this time, he served as an Auburn Ag Ambassador and Vice-President of the Auburn Nursery and Landscape Association. As a rising 3rd-year graduate student at UT Arlington, Johnathan’s commitment to outreach has only increased. As Vice President of the university’s Student Chapter ASLA, he aspires to implement new ways of engaging fellow students, youth, and the greater public with landscape architecture. He plans to explore and evaluate K-12 landscape architecture resources in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for his master’s thesis.

Sara Harris
BLA Candidate
Utah State University

Sara Harris is pursuing a Bachelor’s in the Landscape Architecture and 
Environmental Planning program at Utah State University with a minor in Ornamental Horticulture. She believes that the Earth is for all people, plants, and animals and that the environments we produce should reflect that. Sara is passionate about combining her love for the natural world with recreation to create accessible and sustainable spaces for all communities to enjoy. She is interested in parks and open spaces, planting and residential design, playgrounds, and general 
architecture. Her goal is to help others appreciate the planet a little more by combining the beauty of nature with the comforts of indoors and by pairing education with play. When she is not in the studio, you can find Sara admiring wildflowers, swimming in lakes, reading a book in the sun, tending to her vegetable garden, or trying out a new video game.  
 

Jaliyah Shephard
BSLA Candidate
North Carolina A&T University

Jaliyah "Penny" Shepherd hails from Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys jamming on the guitar, building Legos, and staying connected to her spirituality. Mental health awareness is also a big deal for Jaliyah, and that's one of the reasons she chose to major in landscape architecture. Nature has a way of soothing the soul, and Jaliyah wants to design spaces that can provide that same sense of peace and healing for others struggling with their mental health. Beyond her academic pursuits, Jaliyah has channeled her design talents into a clothing brand called SARTORIAL PENNY. Looking ahead, she plans to further expand her knowledge and skills by obtaining a master’s in construction management. 

Piper Thyden  
BSLA Candidate
Colorado State University

Piper Thyden wants to create spaces that evoke emotions and a sense of  closeness. Growing up in Orange County, California she experienced many of these spaces herself and realized how important thoughtful and natural spaces are in shaping the human experience. Her interests include accessibility, water and natural resource management, alternative uses for green spaces, and ecological restoration. Piper was recently elected ASLA Colorado Liaison for her Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is excited to facilitate this coming year's activities. In her free time, you’ll find her outdoors hiking, rock climbing, or paddle boarding with friends. While indoors you’ll find her testing out new recipes, crocheting, or curled up with a good book.

FINALISTS

LAF would also like recognize four finalists who stood out during the Ignite selection process.

• Jeff Azurin, BLA, University of Florida
• Jeida Brooks, MLA, University of Virginia
• Zach Ford, MLA Clemson University
• Jacob Thornton, BSLA, North Carolina A&T State University

About LAF Ignite

LAF Ignite was launched in 2022 thanks to the generous investment of 146 Founding Donors. Now in its third cycle, students remain in the program until they have completed their landscape architecture degree. Each new cohort joins the group of continuing Ignite scholars from the past year, with up to 15 Ignite scholars active at a time.

LAF Ignite students receive a $10,000 scholarship annually, are matched with a one-on-one mentor, and use paid summer internships to explore different career paths within landscape architecture.  

Landscape architecture professionals who want to get involved can:

• Become a mentor. Each winter, LAF accepts applications from potential mentors for the newest cohort of LAF Ignite students.
• Host a paid summer internship. Each fall, LAF accepts applications from potential internship providers for the following summer.
• Donate. A financial gift to LAF supports Ignite and our other programs to strengthen research, cultivate leadership, and support the next generation of landscape architects.