The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners on Tuesday awarded Scarlett Westover with its inaugural Curtis J. Moody Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship honors the legacy of Curt Moody, the award-winning architect who built the nation’s largest African-American-owned architecture firm. Curt partnered with The Connor Group on several projects, including the design of The Greater Dayton School.
Scarlett, a senior at Springfield High School outside Akron, will attend Kent State in the fall and major in architecture. She was selected from 75 applicants. From the very beginning of the process, Scarlett epitomized some of Curt’s core strengths: character, integrity and curiosity.
“In order to be a great architect, you need to be a curious person,” said Moody•Nolan CEO Jonathan Moody, Curt’s son. “That’s really one of our fundamental beliefs. We ask questions and we listen. During the interview I was struck by Scarlett’s curiosity. It will serve her well in this field.”
Scarlett called the scholarship – which will cover $10,000 a year – “life-changing.”
“I am absolutely honored,” she said. “I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations and values as I work my way through school. After learning more about the Moody family and what Moody•Nolan has done I was even more inspired to pursue my dreams and goals for my future. I can’t wait to continue learning to work towards building a better world for all who live in it.”