‘I think I'll be happy anywhere, as long as I'm doing interior design’

Second-year interior design majors in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design recently spent two days in Washington, D.C., immersing themselves in the spaces and places of some of the area’s most prestigious design firms and meeting the professionals they hope to one day consider colleagues. 

For more than a decade, these annual excursions have come at a critical time in the academic program for the students, who spent their first year completing the foundational courses required of all design and architecture majors in the college.

Once students begin their second years and concentrate solely on interior design, the classes get harder and the expectations are higher.

“After a year of foundation design, our sophomores are quite excited for discipline-specific content, and the D.C. trip is the first immersive interior design experience we provide,” said Brad Whitney, Interior Design Program chair. “Situating the D.C. trip at the start of the fall semester is the perfect time to introduce our sophomores to what interior design is about, and students return from the trip inspired and have a greater clarity on design practice and the different career paths that are possible to them after graduation.”

During the experience, students and faculty members visited the offices and workspaces of Gensler, Steelcase, Knoll, and LSM Architecture, the U.S. Green Building Council. They also toured worksites, such as the WilmerHale corporate offices, so they could experience the end result of a project and actually see clients working in their new spaces.

“The D.C. field trip is also a strong starting point for their professional development, and it introduces students to networking skills since, for many of them, it is their first time actually meeting and engaging with design practitioners,” said Whitney.

At the end of the two days, the School of Design students reflected on the immersive experience and what they learned, who inspired them, and what’s next so they can land their dream jobs. Their experience and voices follow.

This trip was made possible by a group of generous donors to the Interior Design Program who make opportunities like this possible for students. These opportunities are the hallmark of the Virginia Tech Advantage, which aims to provide experiential learning for all students.

“One thing that really stood out to me was how the employees in the design firms collaborate and how they got where they are today. I was inspired by the Virginia Tech graduates who now work at Gensler because they did the exact same course I am currently in and are now successful designers, and they have a lot of good advice. This experience helped me grow as a professional by providing connections to alumni and professional designers, and also gave me insight on what the workforce is like. I'm looking forward to diving more into interior design in general and experimenting with new things.” — Stella Bosworth

“I loved meeting all the people at Gensler. I felt I really resonated with them and how they felt about interior design. They had similar goals in their careers as I currently do. I think it allowed me to feel more confident in my choice of interior design as a major, which will allow me to feel more confident in my work, ultimately leading me to being more successful. I would love to work at a large company that works with a large clientele group and many different types of interior design. My step toward this goal is to maybe get an internship at Gensler or a similiar company. But also, to just graduate and be successful in my classes right now.” — Lilya Mulroy

“One of the Virginia Tech alumni/designers at Steelcase was inspiring to me because I felt I could relate to her, but she also seemed so well-educated about interiors and passionate about what she does. It was kind of like seeing myself in the future and that was very exciting. This experience will help me grow as a professional because it gave me a chance to practice professional networking, exposed me to incredible and inspiring interiors, and really just gave me a better sense of what my aspirational career field is actually like. In my second year, I am most looking forward to doing projects I am truly passionate about. While I don't look forward to learning more about the logistics of interiors like regulations, building codes, budget, etc., I am eager to finally gain this knowledge by the end of the year.” — Seraphina Hsiao

“The most important thing that I took away from this experience is what I want to specialize in for the future. For instance, furniture was not as exciting to me as looking at the amazing spaces designed. I met Emily at Steelcase, who inspired me a lot throughout my time visiting there. She let me know insights about how she got to where she is now, and how it was difficult at times but to always push through. This experience will help me grow as a professional and be successful in the future because I now know a little bit of what it takes to be an interior designer and the hard work and dedication that all of these designers put into every single detail.” — Grace Rounds

“The most important thing I learned from this trip is simply getting out there and being ready to experience everything. I realized that it is crucial for me to step out of my comfort zone to thrive in the design world. I need to take every opportunity that crosses my path. This D.C. experience definitely got me more excited about my career. Observing the different branches of the design industry inspired me greatly — the opportunities are endless. I strongly believe I chose the right major for myself. My dream job is to ultimately own a firm and to get there, I must gain more experience from the design industry as a whole. I look forward to the near future on my interior design journey.” — Kyra Cheng

“The most important thing I have learned from this experience is that we will basically be in a studio-like environment in the work force. I don't know why I never realized that, but these tours have really shown me a side of big firm life as I never knew how they operated. It made me less nervous to work for a large corporation and especially excited to work. It was really inspiring seeing how the community of graduates connect with students and are so generous to share their spaces with us. I really don't know what my dream job is to be completely honest. Going to Knoll made me consider for the first time possibly going into furniture. I'm open to anything. Going into Tech, I was very focused on the residential aspect of design, but, now, going through first year, I'm much more wanting to do commercial and community spaces. I think the best step to take to reach my goal is to just put myself out there and meet people.” — Isabela Miranda

“I learned the broad variety of career opportunities this major allows, and I was inspired by Tom from SteelCase because of his kindness and dedication to his work. This experience is very beneficial toward my academic and professional career, as it broadens my exposure to these workplaces/environments and allows me to get a deeper understanding of what I will potentially be doing post-grad. As I enter my second year, I'm most looking forward to be working with fellow interior designers and to, hopefully, gain internship or work opportunities very similar to the companies we visited this field trip. My dream job has always been to make intentional and meaningful spaces for people, which if it had a label to it, it would be an interior designer. However, this occupation, to me, means so much more than its title, and that's the beauty of this industry: the impact our ideas and creativity have on people.” — Franco Cabanas

“The most important thing I learned on this trip was that design is versatile, and there are many different ways a space can be utilized. The workers I met at Gensler really inspired me because of how young they are, and they showed me that I can be successful quickly out of college. This experience really opened my eyes and showed me many possibilities of what my future could look like. I'm so excited to become a better designer overall and understand all of the basic fundamentals of design. I don't really have a dream job yet; I think I'll be happy anywhere, as long as I'm doing interior design.” — Samantha Stevens