Meet UW's 2026 Chapter Student Scholarship Recipient

Congratulations to Brigitta Rehn for being selected by the University of Washington’s (UW Seattle campus) Department of Urban Design & Planning as the recipient of an APA Washington Chapter’s 2026 Student Scholarship in the amount of $3,000!

Brigitta is a graduate student at the University of Washington who is studying for her Master of Urban Planning and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees. She received her bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture and history of art from UC Berkeley. Before moving to Seattle, she worked with a nonprofit park conservancy at Balboa Park in San Diego, supporting park improvement projects and volunteer programs. Her academic and professional interests are focused on helping to cultivate a strong sense of belonging and connection for underserved populations in urban public spaces. She hopes to pursue this goal through deep community engagement and by prioritizing multi-sensory experiences and universal design in her work. Though Brigitta is originally from the Central Coast of California, where she grew up surrounded by agricultural fields and coastal views, she loves the urban environment of Seattle and the complexity and diversity of the human experience it contains. She enjoys spending time out and about in all kinds of weather: hiking, biking, gardening, and observing the world with awe and gratitude!

Please join APA WA in congratulating Brigitta Rehn and wishing her the best as she finishes up graduate school and then joins the planning profession!

A reminder that the APA WA Chapter’s planning student scholarships, such as the one awarded to Brigitta Rehn, are funded primarily through the annual Student Scholarship Silent Auction. This year, the Silent Auction is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026, in conjunction with the Chapter’s annual conference reception. This fundraising event will benefit students at Washington's three Planning Advisory Board (PA)-accredited planning universities.

The Scholarship Committee is still looking for donated items from APA WA Chapter members for the Silent Auction. The Committee is particularly looking for “experiences” (such as a stay at your second home, a trip on your boat, or an “insider’s tour” of your community), but even asking your local Trader Joe’s or favorite espresso shop for a gift card would be much appreciated. To donate an auction item or for more information, please contact the Scholarship Committee chairs: Kristen Holdsworth (Holdsworth, Kristen [email protected]) or Steve Butler ([email protected]).