Four recent alumni from Florida State University’s Department of History have received esteemed scholar accolades from a statewide nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding Florida’s legacy.

Spring 2025 master’s alumni Hope Evans, Alessio Luna, Jacqueline Vanegas, and Jacob Winton were each recognized with the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Preservation Scholar Award, which celebrates exceptional current or recently graduated students for early professional excellence in this discipline.

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, established in 1978, advocates for the conservation of Florida’s cultural heritage. The awards, which were bestowed at the trust’s Preservation on Main Street Conference in Fernandina Beach, Fla., were initially awarded in 2024. All honorees to date have originated from FSU.

“These students have excelled in becoming both scholars and community advocates,” commented Department of History Assistant Professor Kathleen Powers Conti, who recommended the students for the honor. “I’m impressed by the tangible influence these students have exerted in their communities, and I look forward to witnessing their future successes.”

Evans is a two-time FSU graduate who obtained her bachelor’s degree in 2022 and her master’s in 2025, both in history. While enrolled at FSU, she organized exhibits, led museum tours, and authored a children’s book about Tallahassee’s historic landmarks for her role as an education director and curatorial assistant at the John Gilmore Riley Center & Museum for African American History and Culture. Earlier this year, she also earned a fellowship from the Vernacular Architecture Forum for her research documenting Smitty’s Club, a Tallahassee establishment opened in 1951 to provide a safe haven for Black locals during the Jim Crow era.

“In historic preservation, we safeguard the tangible evidence of a community’s past along with its associated histories and memories,” stated Evans. “Preserved resources highlight the diverse histories that constitute a community, whether locally or nationally.”

Evans currently serves as a historic preservationist for the Florida Department of State, where she assesses and nominates Florida’s historic sites for the National Register of Historic Places and reviews evaluations of historic resources.

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