Episode 100: Honoring Desiree V. Cooper Through Legacy and Scholarship

We celebrate this 100th episode with the recipients of The DVC Memorial Scholarship. The 2025 recipients are Taylor Latimer (Harrisburg Memorial Award), Cheryl Dixon (DC Memorial Award), Makenzie Anane Elam (NOMA Award), and Leslie Aileen Ponce-Diaz (Honorable Mention). The conversation opens with introductions from long-time friends of Desiree (Nikolas Hill, Carol Smith Twyman, Morina Peterson, Katherine Williams), who reflect on her legacy and the challenges of navigating the architectural profession. Recipients share how they discovered the scholarship, often through networking at NOMA events, and speak candidly about balancing the demands of rigorous exams with professional responsibilities. Together they explore ways to expand the scholarship’s impact by suggesting resources for study materials, fostering stronger community ties among recipients, and establishing a shared network directory. The discussion concludes with heartfelt gratitude for the support and recognition the scholarship provides. This year’s recipients each received $1,410 toward their exams.

Makenzie Elam is a young black woman born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. She is a three time graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Design. Makenzie has a passion for teaching and mentorship of not just the next generation of youth, but the next generation of architects and designers. Makenzie currently volunteers at one of her local hospitals as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Volunteer as a Baby Cuddler and a Girl Scout Troop Leader/Volunteer for one of the local chapters in her area.

A proud native ATL-ien and two-time alumna of Tuskegee University, Cheryl is an architectural designer, who provides a multidisciplinary approach to the built environment. With an affinity for design-build and hands on collaboration, Cheryl values opportunities to connect clients and industry experts to devise innovative solutions. Pairing her background in construction management with her strengths in architectural and interior design, Cheryl enthusiastically enjoys contributing to the full life cycle of a project, from schematic ideation and programmatic strategy to turn-key constructed implementation. Outside of work, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her parents and family, volunteering with graduate members of her sorority, traveling to live music performances, playing tennis, crate digging at vinyl record stores, and trying new vegan eats.

Taylor Latimer is a Designer at OCA Architects in Newark, New Jersey. With over seven years of experience in the Architecture field, she has contributed to a wide range of projects across the U.S., including mixed-use residential, educational, public, hospitality, and transportation developments. Taylor brings a distinct lens to her work—one rooted in cultural awareness, user empathy, and social impact. Her approach to design is grounded in the three pillars of sustainability: environmental responsibility, economic viability, and social equity. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University, with additional studies in business and real estate development. As the current President of the New Jersey chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), Taylor is a fierce advocate for equity in the profession. In addition to her professional work, Taylor is deeply invested in mentorship and education.