Congratulations to our 2025 Winners!

RIEEA is pleased to announce the five outstanding winners of our 2025 Environmental Studies Scholarship: Rowan Marelli, Bella Quiroa, Grace Aleksiewicz, Malia Gentile, and Emma Stahl. These ambitious eco-leaders were chosen from a competitive field of applicants on the basis of their demonstrated passion for the environment, outstanding community leadership, and exceptional success in their academic, professional, and volunteer endeavors. Two “Gold Awards” for $2,000 per year for up to four years of study and three “Silver Awards” for $1,000 per year for up to four years of study were awarded. 

Rowan Marelli (gold award) of Richmond, RI, plans to attend the University of Rhode Island in the fall in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences. Rowan is a senior at Chariho High School, where he manages and conducts independent study in the school’s greenhouse and supports the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter with their events and programs. He is passionate about horticulture, landscape architecture, and photography.

Bella Quiroa (gold award), a senior at The East Bay Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, has served in many leadership roles. Notably, she co-founded the Youth Composting Campaign Initiative to support and advocate for schools to comply with Rhode Island state composting requirements. Bella lives in Newport, RI, and holds internships with Save the Bay and WasteNaut Consulting. She plans to study environmental policy in the fall.

Grace Aleksiewicz (silver award) of North Smithfield, RI, is a high school senior who plans to study environmental science in the fall. Grace has been working with the Department of Environmental Management in a variety of roles, most recently designing a new “Rhody Critter Kit” (an educational science kit for K-12 teachers). They are also a singer and play volleyball.

Malia Gentile (silver award) is a junior at Wheaton College, where she is working towards a bachelors degree in environmental science with a concentration in chemistry. She developed a campus-wide “Trash to Treasure” event to coordinate community cleanups, educate the public on the disproportionate effects of plastic pollution on low-income neighborhoods, and hosted an upcycled art competition. Malia is from Pawtucket, RI.

Emma Stahl (silver award) is a senior at Southern New Hampshire University who lives in Westerly, RI. Emma works full time at the Westerly Land Trust (WLT) as their Conservation Programs Coordinator, developing and leading field trips, after-school and summer programs, and family events. Emma is passionate about traveling, taking advantage of unique experiences such as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), which she uses t​​o expand and create new programs at WLT.