CambridgeSeven, the award-winning Cambridge, MA-based architecture and design firm, announced the winner of its eighth annual STEAM scholarship for students of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS). The 2025 award recipient, Yamanuel Mulualem, will graduate from CRLS in June of 2025 and attend the University of Rhode Island in the fall, where he will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

Yamanuel was first introduced to the engineering program by a guidance counselor and was mentored by teachers at CRLS who saw a spark within him and believed in his potential. With the support of his mentors at school, Yamanuel began to see himself not just as a student, but as a future innovator. As the first person in his family to attend college, he turned doubt into determination, based on his lived experiences and his ongoing mantra of resilience.

“Mechanical engineering is a perfect field for me because it blends innovation with practicality,” said Yamanuel. “As a young Black man growing up in Section 8 housing, I had previously internalized the idea that students like me didn’t become engineers. There weren’t many people in my community pursuing STEM careers, and the lack of representation made me doubt whether I belonged.”

Yamanuel is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a clear mission: to build and innovate resilient and sustainable solutions that empower housing for underfunded communities. He hopes to use the skills he gains to improve infrastructure–whether through designing more durable buildings, creating energy-efficient systems, or developing technologies that help these communities thrive. His story is a powerful testament to how access, encouragement, and resilience can turn barriers into blueprints—and how engineering can be a tool for lasting social change.

“On behalf of our entire team at CambridgeSeven, it is our great honor to award our 8th annual STEAM scholarship to Yamanuel,” said Timothy Mansfield, AIA, CambridgeSeven President and CEO. “Yamanuel’s story is a remarkable example of perseverance, purpose, and the power of design to drive meaningful change. At CambridgeSeven, we are proud to support students like Yamanuel who are not only pursuing excellence in engineering but are also committed to using their talents to uplift communities and reimagine a more equitable, sustainable future.”

CambridgeSeven began its partnership with the Friends of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in 2018, to provide an annual STEAM Scholarship Program for students at CRLS. This program grants a $5,000 scholarship to a deserving senior pursuing a college education in one of the STEAM fields. To qualify for this scholarship, the student must be the first in their family to attend a 4-year college, a full-time student working towards an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university, and committed to excelling in one of the STEAM fields.

Previous scholarship winners have continued their higher education at esteemed universities, such as Northeastern University, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Cornell University, Boston University, UMass Amherst Honors College, and UMass Lowell.