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Obed Lopez is a second-year Master of Architecture student awarded the 2023 HOK Diversity x Design Scholarship. The scholarship program has been created to foster greater diversity within the architectural profession by granting $100,000 in scholarships to 10 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and institutions known for their commitment to educating BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and minority design students. The initiative has been launched in 2021 with the allocation of eight scholarships, and it has since expanded, offering nine scholarships in 2022 and now ten in 2023. So far, HOK has invested a cumulative total of $270,000 into the program and has hired several past scholarship winners.

Obed, from Burbank, IL, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. He believes that UIC is a diverse institution where students can learn about diverse ideas and what's next in their field or where they should focus their energy as a profession. 

“I want to thank the team at HOK for the scholarship that has allowed me to continue my graduate studies at UIC. A lot of times, students are discouraged from continuing their studies due to their cost. Therefore, I am extremely thankful for the scholarships and opportunities like the Diversity x Design Scholarship continue to help new generations of architects achieve their goals. I hope to express my gratitude as a future architect by helping younger generations in any way possible." 

If you're interested, you can check out interviews with HOK’s 2022 Diversity x Design scholarship winners.