The Patel College of Global Sustainability celebrated its next generation of sustainability leaders during the annual Butz and Patel Distinguished Scholar Award Ceremony. The event recognized six outstanding students for their academic excellence, leadership, and passion for advancing sustainability鈥攁warding a total of $16,000 in scholarships.
Four students received the BUTZ Scholarship, which celebrates the passion, creativity, and determination of future sustainability leaders. The award recognizes students whose personal journeys demonstrate a deep commitment to making a difference and who can powerfully articulate their growth as sustainability advocates. Each recipient shared how their education at the Patel College is helping them turn their vision into meaningful, real-world impact as master-level 鈥淪ustainaBULLs.鈥�
Two incoming students were named Patel Distinguished Scholars, a prestigious recognition awarded to those who exemplify academic excellence, visionary leadership, and an unwavering dedication to advancing sustainability. These scholars stand out for their bold ideas, outstanding performance, and potential to make lasting contributions to their communities and the world.
Butz Scholarship Recipient: Douglas Soule
The awards provide crucial financial support, and for many, they represent a validation of a lifelong commitment. , a young journalist, who covers environmental issues for WUSF, shared that his passion began long before his university studies. he noted, also mentioning his work creating his West Virginia hometown's first compost pile. For him, the scholarship is a vital tool to "increase [his] conceptual awareness of sustainability and environmental issues."
I recently uncovered a fourth grade written essay of mine where I was talking about the need for recycling.
Douglas Soule
Butz Scholarship Recipient: Fidan Jabrayilova
The recipients' paths to sustainability are remarkably diverse. Another student, Fidan Jabrayilova, originally from a petroleum engineering background, described a pivotal shift in her focus. This scholarship award affirmed her new direction, and her motivation is now clear and powerful: "We need to save the world... for the future generations."
Butz Scholarship Recipient: Lazzat Tanetova
Another student, , with a background in the oil and gas industry, was motivated to pursue sustainability because she recognizes it as a critical sector in need of new leadership and sustainable thinking. With the help of this scholarship, Lazzat is excited to study and work on impactful projects that protect the environment, aspiring to become a leader who can help guide the industry toward a more sustainable future.
[This scholarship will] help me to study and work on projects that protect the environment.
Lazzat Tanetova
Butz Scholarship Recipient: Taila Stoner
[This scholarship will] help me to study and work on projects that protect the environment.
Lazzat Tanetova
For , this scholarship is a meaningful recognition of her passion and a stepping stone to furthering her education. Having found a her calling in environmental studies, she is now focused on her career-driven goals. Taila hopes to help others, stating, "My passion for learning is about making the earth a better place," and she believes that a strong education in sustainability is key to achieving that goal.
Patel Distinguished Scholarship Recipient: Laura Ezzi
Laura Ezzi was grateful for the opportunity to continue her studies. The award serves as a significant morale boost as she pursues her goals. Having spent her career in Emergency Management, primarily in response and recovery before transitioning to mitigation.Her time in mitigation got her introduced to sustainability topics and inspired her to return to school to go even further in her field. This scholarship will be instrumental in helping her achieve that ambition.
Patel Distinguished Scholarship Recipient: Samantha Ableman
For, her passion for sustainability blossomed during her undergraduate program, and she feels that getting into a program like this is a significant honor. Her drive to study sustainability is rooted in direct, personal experience. As a student from Miami, her home environment shaped her career path. "Growing up, I saw the impacts of climate change firsthand, and that's kind of where my passion sparked," she shared. This early attention to the environment, especially seeing the firsthand impacts during her undergraduate studies, has fueled her commitment to the field.
Growing up, I saw the impacts of climate change firsthand, and that's kind of where my passion sparked
Samantha Ableman