Jessica Kent, junior interior design major, and Anna Strohm, sophomore interior design major, recently won scholarships from the American Home Furnishing Alliance.  

According to the AHFA website, it is the largest and most influential company in the home furnishing industry.  Thus, the company’s scholarships are very competitive.  Scholarship applicants must be a major in forest resources, engineering, architecture, art and design or business.  

Each entrant must write an essay, and Kent and Strohm said they both wrote essays that explain how they will impact the world of home furnishings in the future.  

Kent said the application caused her to think critically about the interior design industry she plans to enter. She said one of her main focuses is the integration of interior designers, clients and the businesses who provide interior design products.  

 “In my essay, I discussed things I have learned at school and during my internship that could help me contribute to the home furnishing industry,” Kent said. “I also discussed how important it is for customers, designers and manufacturers to stay united and able to communicate.”  

Kent and Strohm said they were both excited and overwhelmed with gratitude upon receiving the scholarships. 

Kent said the most important aspect of the scholarship is the energy it gives her to move forward and push the limits of interior design. 

“When I first found out that I had received the scholarship, I was in disbelief. After I finally realized it was true, I could not stop smiling,” she said. “By receiving the scholarship it reassured me that I am doing a good job, and it gives me even more confidence in moving forward in this major.” 

Kent and Strohm each have elaborate ideas for the future of the furniture industry.  

Strohm said she plans to focus on the relationship between furniture and the environment, an intersection often overlooked. 

“For my future in interior design, I hope to be able to work for firms that believe in environmentally-friendly design and, within this sector, are conscious of their furniture decisions as well,” she said.

  Kent said she wants to own a design and furnishing showroom. She said interior design drew her in because it is not only a creative major, but also functions as a service-oriented major.

 “I have always been interested in interior design because it is a career that allows me to be creative and gives me the opportunity to help people at the same time,” Kent said.

 Strohm said she loves the artistry of interior design but also finds satisfying challenges in the field’s intersection of pragmatics and design. 

“The main reason I love interior design and aspire to be a designer is because I love the small niche that interior design consists of,” Strohm said. “To me, its where creativity and art meet architecture and real-life experiences. I love the challenges of balancing so many aspects like client needs, function and the reality of the space and budget.”