Volunteers
Darius Bottorff, Volunteer
NAMLA Volunteer Darius Bottorff is a Landscape Designer who graduated with a BSLA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently working on his MLA from Harvard Graduate School of Design.
In his leisure, he's a digital and traditional artist using bold colors and mediums such as acrylic, watercolor, poster color, and ballpoint pen. When he's not tackling creative projects, he's playing soccer, volleyball, or volunteering with NAMLA. Darius strives to help NAMLA spread awareness of underrepresented and underserved populations in Landscape Architecture.
Maria Victoria Arias, Volunteer
Born and raised in Venezuela, Maria Victoria Arias Montero, also known as Mavi, graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and is currently working on her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a founding member of the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects student chapter at UC Davis, and founding member of the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects at University of Pennsylvania. Mavi's primary aim is to create a sense of community where everyone's voices are heard, and to increase minority representation in higher education.
In addition to her leadership roles and academic accomplishments, Mavi was awarded the title of 2023 LAF Olmsted Scholar for her outstanding leadership within the LA+ED program at UC Davis.
Mavi worked as a Research Assistant on a project titled "Understanding the socio-economic benefits of educational outdoor recreation programs for underserved youth of color." The project is a collaboration between UC Davis, the US Forest Service, and an organization in the Los Angeles area called Outward Bound Adventures. Through this research, she contributed to the betterment of underserved communities.