2024 FASAE SoCal Education Foundation Awards

Francis Luigi Lozano

Francis is a junior at the University of California, Irvine, majoring in Informatics. Born in the Philippines, his journey began with his family’s immigration to New York City to seek better medical support for his sister. This early experience of navigating uncharted territory defined his resilience and instilled in him a desire to be the first to face challenges so he could clear a path for others. His commitment to academic excellence is demonstrated by his selection as a Regents Scholar which serves as a testament to his sustained high grade point average and scholastic achievement.

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Melissa Mae Larot

Melissa Mae Larot is a fifth-year architecture student at the University of Southern California, minoring in Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism. Because she grew up in a U.S. Navy family, she moved eleven times by the time she was eleven years old, experiencing the direct impact of rising rental costs in San Diego. This early familiarity with housing instability taught her resilience and gave her a strong desire to protect other families from facing similar hardships. Her academic and artistic achievements earned her both the Victor S. Sauer Scholarship and the USC Architectural Guild Scholarship.

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Aliya Kristine Fomeloza

Aliya Formeloza is a fourth-year architecture student at the University of Southern California, where she is also pursuing a minor in Cinematic Arts. She brings a broad global perspective to her work, having lived in the Philippines, India, Japan, Indonesia, and New York during her childhood. Spending summers watching her grandmother lead community outreach programs in Laguna, Philippines, further shaped her appreciation for how design impacts daily life. Aliya's academic success and community focus have been recognized through the Asian American Architects & Engineers (AAa/e) Undergraduate Scholarship and her selection as a USC Research Symposium Honoree.

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Izabella Flores

Izabella Flores is a senior at the University of Southern California pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture degree. She grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she was one of the few Filipinas in her town. Watching the daily hard work of her parents, a microbiologist and an emergency room nurse who immigrated from the Philippines, taught her the value of dedication early on. Moving to Los Angeles to study design was a major shift from her small hometown, but her academic work has already earned her the Geralyn Lambson Endowed Scholarship and the Russell Gamble Endowed Scholarship.

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Miles Jennings

Miles Jennings is a Computer Engineering student at the University of California, Irvine, specializing in hardware. Raised in Long Beach, California, by his single mother, grandmother, and uncles, Miles spent part of his childhood living with family in the Philippines while his mother completed her education. This upbringing, combined with a lifelong background in competitive sports like basketball, instilled in him a strong sense of discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Driven by his mother's personal sacrifices, Miles maintains a strong focus on academic success and aims to use his technical education to positively impact his community.

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