ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Mackey Mitchell Architects announces Carlos Cepeda Gómez as the first recipient of the Eugene J. Mackey III Travel Scholarship. This scholarship honors the legacy of MMA’s founder, Gene Mackey, and his belief in the transformative power of architectural travel and drawing.

Carlos Cepeda Gómez, a recent graduate from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and
a minor in Urban Design, will utilize the scholarship to participate in a two-month YACademy Vernacular Architecture program at
the Italian Embassy in Cairo.

The scholarship was inspired by Gene Mackey’s formative 1958 European tour with his father, which led him to pursue
architecture. It aims to provide deserving students, particularly those who might not otherwise have the opportunity, with
transformative travel experiences to expand their architectural knowledge and passion.

“Carlos embodies the spirit of curiosity and dedication to cultural understanding that Gene Mackey championed throughout
his career,” said Steve Emer, President of Mackey Mitchell Architects. “His approach to architecture, rooted in empathy and
sustainability, aligns perfectly with our firm’s values and the scholarship’s mission.”

Gómez’s impressive background includes a 2023 Steedman Student Summer Research Grant focused on the Venezuelan
migration crisis’s impact on Colombian settlements. He also recently completed a significant research project for the prestigious
Steedman Fellowship’s upcoming centennial celebration.

“Receiving this travel scholarship represents a perfect embodiment of the practice and philosophy my family taught me,” said Gómez. “It reinforces that community is at the core of everything we are and that we are stronger together.”

Mackey Mitchell Architects is gratified to support Gómez’s journey and looks forward to continuing to nurture the next
generation of socially conscious, globally aware architects through the Eugene J. Mackey III Travel Scholarship.

For more information about Mackey Mitchell Architects and the Eugene J. Mackey III Travel Scholarship or to make a donation,
visit https://www.mackeymitchell.com/eugene-j-mackey-iii-travel-scholarship-fund/