ULI Foundation Governor Bruce Etkin has pledged $100,000 to expand the Etkin Johnson Student Scholarship Program, which began at ULI Colorado to support undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Colorado as they launch their careers in real estate and other land use professions. The funding will be competitively awarded over two years to district councils to support student memberships, networking and mentorship activities, and involvement with ULI at the local level.

“The $70 or so fee to attend a district council event might not seem expensive, but many students simply can’t afford it,” Etkin says. “Building your professional network through ULI is an essential building block early on in your career, and it was important to me to expand this program so that more deserving students benefit from the important skills and connections that a ULI membership brings with it.”

For the 2017–2018 academic year, ten councils applied to participate, and four councils were selected to recruit and support ten Etkin Johnson student scholars each: ULI Baltimore, ULI Kansas City, ULI North Florida, and ULI Philadelphia. ULI Colorado will also continue to receive funding for its program.

ULI Colorado’s model for the program will be replicated in these other locations, with an emphasis on encouraging student members to participate in district council events, programs, and Young Leaders Group; establish connections with mentors among local ULI Key Leaders; and gain valuable leadership and networking skills. One of Etkin’s goals is to have the scholarship program permanently endowed in these new locations by additional benefactors.

Etkin, also a ULI governing trustee, has been an active ULI member since 1979. He is a former ULI Foundation board member and has served on several ULI product councils. He is chairman of Etkin Johnson Real Estate Partners, a privately owned commercial real estate investment and development company based in Colorado.