2024 APA Outstanding Student Award
Isabella Sardina, Class of 2024, with a Bachelor of Science in Community and Regional Planning, is a recipient of the 2023-2024 American Planning Association (APA) Outstanding Student Award. The APA Outstanding Student Awards “recognize outstanding attainment in the study of planning by students graduating from Planning Accreditation Board–accredited planning programs during the academic year of the award.”
“I am honored to have received the American Planning Association’s (APA) Outstanding Planning Student Award for the 2023-2024 year. Speaking at last year’s APA-NC conference in Durham, NC, and attending the National Planning Conference in Minneapolis, MN, were invaluable experiences, exposing me to the multitude of opportunities APA offers to planners nationwide. I credit my journey to the education and experiences gained from ECU’s Community and Regional Planning Program.” – Bella Sardina
Ms Sardina joined the program in August 2022 with an associate degree. As a Global Fellow, an initiative of ECU’s Office of Global Affairs designed to position high-achieving students for success in today’s global, multicultural economy, she participated in the Sustainable Urbanism in South Korea summer study abroad program. Her scholarships are proven by various scholarships and awards she received, including the Thomas W. Rivers Foreign Exchange Scholarship, C. Ray Pruette Scholarship, ECU Geography Scholarship, and ECU Urban Planning Alumni Scholarship. She entered the Planning Accelerated Degree program (4+1) in 2023 and is continuing her graduate degree of MS in Planning and Development upon graduation. She served in various leadership positions, including the Social Media Coordinator of the Student Planners Action Network (SPAN), for two years.
After graduating in May 2024, Ms. Sardina completed an internship with the City Manager’s Office in Greenville and now serves as a full-time Program Specialist in the Neighborhood and Business Services Department, Community Development Division.
Please see Isabella Sardina’s graduate profile. Go, Pirates!