Architecture student named inaugural UIC Kokkino Educational Fund scholarship recipient

UIC’s College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and the School of Architecture are proud to announce that Racheal Inioluwa Olujide, a first-year undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Science in Architecture program, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the UIC Kokkino Educational Fund.

Olujide was drawn to UIC by testimonies she heard from architects, students and educators. She has enjoyed her first year in the program, especially developing and sharing design ideas with colleagues and professors.

“It is a huge honor to be the first recipient of the Kokkino Scholarship,” Olujide said. “This scholarship has further driven me to recognize and work towards my academic goals, and it will always remain a reminder to succeed and thrive in the architectural world. With this scholarship, I intend to pursue architecture to the fullest and excel with flying colors.”

Evangel Kokkino, a 1971 alumnus of the School of Architecture, made the gift along with his daughter, Sofia Kokkino Patton, in memory of his mother. The fund is intended to support women and immigrant students who have financial need. Kokkino practiced architecture in Chicago; his career has involved leading architecture/engineering practices locally and large capital programs and projects around the world. Kokkino serves on the President’s Council of the University of Illinois Foundation.

“It is a happy day for UIC when distinguished alumni support the next generation of architects who aspire to shape the built environment with their ideas,” said Florencia Rodriguez, director of the School of Architecture. “Thank you to Angelo, and congratulations to Racheal.”

For more information on the scholarship, please contact Jonathan Kinkley, senior director of development, at 312-996-4714 or kinkley@uic.edu.