Awards & Honors

B Arch student Evana Said has been named one of two winners of the second annual Paul A. Volcker Careers in Government Essay Contest, selected from a competitive pool of nearly 150 submissions.

Said is in her final semester as an honors student, working toward a Bachelor of Architecture degree and a minor in legal studies. As the child of Syrian refugees, a first-generation college student, and a Climate Policy Fellow, she has a deep appreciation for the potential of higher education and public service.

She wrote, “I chose to study architecture and legal studies because growing up in Brooklyn has shown me the multitude of ways design and law deeply affect all inhabitants. . . . For this reason, I hope to do work at the intersection of design, advocacy, and policy in the public sector. A career in public service would allow me to contribute to mitigating climate change and help those communities most often marginalized and forgotten.”

The Volcker Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, inspired by the legendary public service of founder Paul A. Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve. The Volcker Alliance hosts this contest in partnership with CUNY to recognize and support students who aspire to careers in public service.