Graduate student will travel to Philadelphia in November to Greenbuild 2024 thanks to the help of the USF Patel College of Global Sustainability.
William McMahon graduated from the Patel College of Global Sustainability (PCGS) in August 2024 with a concentration in Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.
In May 2024, an announcement posted by Emily Boyko on the PCGS canvas page would let McMahon show evidence of his hard work - a full-ride scholarship opportunity to attend the annual U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Greenbuild International Conference and Expo for Greenbuild 2024: Built to Scale.
The scholarship captivated McMahon for its connection to what he had been learning in the classroom about driving fair progress in green building, stating “I’ve always been interested in sustainable design.” McMahon took no chances, knowing he could not attend without the scholarship. He applied, awaited with anticipation, and received the scholarship as a “Host Committee Scholarship Recipient,” the highest scholarship that USGBC can award.
This scholarship grants him a “Conference Pass” allowing him full access to all four days of the event including the expo hall, networking opportunities, and all workshops of interest. The scholarship also covered hotel accommodations in Philadelphia for two nights. McMahon will attend Greenbuild 2024 from November 12th to 15th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
McMahon was awarded this scholarship for good reason. He worked hard to impress the
selection committee at USGBC by being an outstanding student at PCGS. In his application,
McMahon said the scholarship “would afford [him] the opportunity” to visualize the
concepts he had been learning at PCGS. “I’m very much looking forward to the networking
opportunities,” McMahon said.
The conference will be a wonderful chance to meet green building professionals from
around the world and bring what he learned back to his home state of Florida. McMahon
plans to implement what he learned in local communities and understand other angles
of sustainability in green building. McMahon is excited about the opportunity that
awaits him and cannot wait to put his learning into practice.
“What I loved about PCGS as a student was that there was no shortage of opportunities.” - William McMahon
PCGS strives to provide opportunities for their students to further their knowledge in sustainable design and green development. McMahon states that without PCGS, “I would not have heard of this opportunity.” Even though he was in Jacksonville during his studies at PCGS, he says PCGS always found other ways to expose students to beneficial opportunities that supported their studies and furthered their endeavors in green design.
The Patel College of Global Sustainability works hard to offer students a chance to further their knowledge and improve their credentials in the world of sustainability. This scholarship is just one way PCGS has benefited graduate students, opening opportunities to meet leaders and create a green future.