AIAVT’s Board of Directors recently approved an unprecedented increase in AIAVT’s Scholarship Awards for the 2022 fiscal year with the passing of the annual budget in February. The board has doubled the amounts for each of the AIAVT scholarships, increasing the total awards from $6,000 to $12,000 annually. 

This increase was made possible by a generous donation of $5,000 to the Hanne M. Williams Scholar Recognition Fund for 2022 by TruexCullins, as well as the introduction of a new initiative by Pella Windows & Doors of South Burlington. The “Pella + Purpose” program kicked off earlier this year and aims to donate $150 to the AIAVT scholarship fund on behalf of every design professional who participates in two Pella CEU sessions. According to Jeff Stetter, Pella Architectural Consultant, the Pella + Purpose program is on its way to meeting the stated goal of donating $10,000 to the AIAVT Scholar Recognition Fund for 2022, with over $7000 raised to date. AIAVT members can still sign up to take part in the Pella + Purpose program by contacting Jeff Stetter directly at jstetter@pellasales.com. The Annual Guy Teschmacher Memorial Golf Tournament has historically been the main fundraiser for the Scholar Recognition Fund and will take place again this year on September 8th at Sugarbush (details coming soon). 

The cost of a college education is ever-rising, and the board hopes that this increase in scholarship amounts will help make each award more impactful. The future of the architectural profession in Vermont relies upon today’s students, and AIAVT aims to help cultivate this next generation of design professionals into tomorrow’s visionary leaders.