CAPLA students come from a rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences.
View profiles of a few of our students, including undergraduate architecture, landscape architecture and sustainable built environments students and graduate architecture, landscape architecture, real estate development and urban planning students:

Highlighting the Class of 2025: Ollie Freshour, SBE
Ollie Freshour is graduating with a BS in Sustainable Built Environments with an emphasis in Sustainable Buildings. As an online student, Ollie made the most of their experience traveling from Indiana to Tucson to connect with the CAPLA community and explore the ENR2 Building. From designing a sustainable park in Elkhart to planning a future as a certified arborist, Ollie is ready to make a lasting impact on urban environments.

Highlighting the Class of 2025: Annamaria Pongratz BLA
Annamaria Pongratz is graduating with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a minor in Art History. Reflecting on her time at CAPLA, she shared how the experience shaped her as both a designer and collaborator. This fall, she’ll continue her academic journey as a graduate student at CAPLA. One of her proudest achievements? Designing a sensory garden for a children’s museum in her planting design class—a project that reflects her creativity and care for inclusive, engaging spaces.

Highlighting the Class of 2025: Jedidiah Perea, B.Arch
After graduation, Jedidiah Perea is heading to Spain before starting his path to licensure. He reflects on his time at CAPLA as transformative, with late nights in studio and meaningful project, especially a sustainable housing design for the Hopi Tribe, shaping him into a stronger designer.

Rodeo Grounds Reimagined: Abigail Power ‘26 BLA
Abigail Power ‘26 B.LA recently reimagined the entry plaza of the Tucson Rodeo Grounds in LAR301, a studio led by CAPLA faculty Erik Schmahl and Kirk Dimond. Inspired by vaquero herding techniques, her design blends cultural history with ecological function through detailed plans, GIS mapping, and a physical model.

Ecological Cookbook: Gabriel Garcia ‘26 B.Arch
In ARC410F, Gabriel Garcia '26 B.Arch explored the intersection of architecture and ecology by designing with the Sonoran Desert’s spadefoot toad in mind. His ecological cookbook documents the species’ behavior, habitat needs, and environmental context, guiding a design approach rooted in sustainability and nonhuman-centered thinking.

Learning from the Best: Isabella Cleopatra de Sousa Proulx '25 B.LA
Isabella Cleopatra de Sousa Proulx ‘25 B.LA recently completed an internship with Universal Studios in Orlando, where she contributed to the highly anticipated Epic Universe theme park, opening in May 2025.

Founding ISAPD: Nathan Becenti ‘25 M.Arch
Nathan Becenti ‘25 M.Arch is the founding president of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design (ISAPD) at CAPLA, where he champions Indigenous representation in architecture. Originally from Tohatchi on the Navajo Nation in Northern New Mexico, he earned his undergraduate degree from UNLV before gaining hands-on experience in high-profile Las Vegas projects.

Building Inclusive Spaces: Lescilia Panzarella '28 BLA
Lescilia Panzarella '28 BLA is a first-generation college student and active leader at CAPLA, serving as vice president and secretary of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design, where she fosters Indigenous voices in modern design and pursues her passion for sustainable public housing and city planning.

Anthony Rascon '26, B.Arch | Exploring Themed Entertainment and Architecture
Bachelor of Architecture undergraduate student Anthony Rascon shares how CAPLA has helped him explore themed entertainment design, leading to an internship with Universal Creative in Orlando. With a unique blend of architecture and immersive arts, he emphasizes the value of interdisciplinary learning and advises future students to embrace diverse experiences within their studies.

Class of 2024 | Harnessing AI for Architecture
Masters of Science in Architecture graduate Asif Zeshan feels that the architecture community is due for a transformation to keep up with emerging technology. The MS.Arch program provided him the opportunity to dive into research on the topic, bringing his passions to life.

Class of 2024 | Paving Your Own Way
Emma Hughes came to CAPLA from Phoenix and found the BLA program amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear about her CAPLA experience as part of the first BLA graduating class this May.

Class of 2024 | Discovering Strength in Adversity
Hunter Pinke '24 graduated with his master's degree in real estate development and was named to the 2024 Academic All-America Second Team by the Intercollegiate Division of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.