Interior Design Student Achievement

Competition, graduation, and career success in Interior Design.

KCAD Interior Design students are very competitive within the industry.

2022-2023 

  • Graduates:  12
  • Retention rate:  75%
  • Job placement rate: 67% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: none 

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships 

  • The Friends of Michigan State Fair Endowed Scholarship - Claire Ashcraft 
  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship - Ashley Grotenhuis and Calyn Poore 
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette, First Place - Kali Thompson
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette, Honorable Mention - Kate Timmerman 
  • 2021 IIDA TX/OK Shift Student Conference attendees - Claire Ashcraft and Jenna Smaby 
  • Joe Withers Endowed Award - Tressa Fidler and Kali Thompson   
  • Joe Withers Endowed Scholarship - Claire Ashcraft, Ashley Grotenhuis, Elizabeth Smethwick, and Kate Timmerman 
  • Mardell R. Grant Memorial Scholarship - Kali Thompson 
  • Robert Bergelin Endowed Scholarship - Fabiola Garcia and Alexandria Short 
  • Robert James Campbell Scholarship - Megan Zelenka  

 

2021-2022 

  • Graduates:  14
  • Retention rate:  82%
  • Job placement rate: 90% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: none 

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships 

  • The Friends of Michigan State Fair Endowed Scholarship - Sofia Melnikoff  
  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship - Tiffany Taylor and Alexandria Short 
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette, First Place - Claire Ashcraft 
  • Joe Withers Endowed Award - Claire Ashcraft and Ashley Grotenhuis   
  • Joe Withers Endowed Scholarship - Ashley Grotenhuis, Elizabeth Smethwick, Claire Ashcraft, and Kate Timmerman 
  • KCAD General Scholarship Endowment - Maggie Kimbrell 

 

2020-2021

  • Graduates: 19
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Job placement rate: 79% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: none

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship Tiffany Taylor
  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Amanda Wyman
  • 2021 Metropolis Magazine top 100 to Watch Amanda Wyman
  • 2021 IIDA TX/OK Shift Student Conference attendees Brooke Crissman and Felicia Burger
  • 2021 Shift Student Conference Charrette First place Felicia Burger
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette First Place Peyton Helsen
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette Honorable Mention Sarah Kane
  • Joe Withers Endowed Award Claire Ashcraft and Peyton Helsen
  • Joe Withers Endowed Scholarship Claire Ashcraft, Ashley Grotenhuis, Elizabeth Smethwick, and Kate Timmerman
  • KCAD General Scholarship Endowment Kelly Clouse, Sarah Kane, and Maggie Kimbrell
  • Dr Stanford Stoddard Family Scholarship Sofia Melnikoff

2019-2020

  • Graduates: 20
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Job placement rate: 70% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 5%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition Top 5 finisher, Honorable Mention Sean Guirey
  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship Amanda Wyman
  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Amanda Wyman
  • MWest Challenge team competition 2nd place for Considered Furniture with team members Sydney Johnson – Interior Design, Joe Dunaske – Furniture Design, and Kate Hyman – Master of Architecture
  • 2019 IIDA NeoCon Charrette attendee Sara Petosky
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette First Place Sara Petosky
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette Honorable Mention Daniela Coyotl Symonds
  • IIDA TX/OK Student Shift Conference attendee Allisha Lightning Poucher
  • Friends of Michigan State Fair Endowed Scholarship Maggie Kimbrell
  • The Joe Withers Endowed Award Kelly Clouse
  • The Joe Withers Endowed Scholarship Kelly Clouse, Sawyer Seide, and Rachel Polet
  • KCAD General Scholarship Endowment Maggie Kimbrell

2018-2019

  • Graduates: 16
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Job placement rate: 75% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 0%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship Allison Misner
  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Felicia Burger
  • 2018 IIDA NeoCon Charrette attendee Monica Mathie
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette First Place Leanne Westrate
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charrette Honorable Mention Averie Harris
  • IIDA MI 2019 Student Video Competition winner Sara Petosky
  • IIDA TX/OK Student Shift Conference attendee Sara Petosky

2017-2018

  • Graduates: 16
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Job placement rate: 80% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 6%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • IIDA MI Dr. Virginia North Student Competition First Place Lauren Copping
  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship Sara Petoskey
  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Katelyn Boverhof
  • 2018 IIDA NeoCon Charette Second Place Monica Mathie
  • IIDA MI ThinkUP! Student Charette First Place Alanna Sanchez Honorable Mention - Katelyn Boverhof
  • PAVE - Target Scholarship Caroline Montgomery

2016-2017

  • Graduates: 19
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Job placement rate: 95% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 0%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • IIDA MI Dr. Virginia North Student Competition First Place Kelsey Ballast Second Place - Ashley Newton
  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship Hailey Klein
  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Caroline Montgomery

2015-2016

  • Graduates: 29
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Job placement rate: 80% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 0%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • IIDA Booth Design Competition First Place Kelsey Ballast
  • IIDA MI Dr. Virginia North Student Competition First Place Caitlyn Carr
  • 2015 IDEC Student Design Competition Midwest Region Winner: Alex Pelton Midwest Region Winner: Dani Rose
  • 2016 ThinkUp! Design Competition Grand Prize Team Member Allison Cornwell Honorable Mention Team Member Elise Boersema
  • Tower Pinkster Scholarship Jennifer Kang
  • 2016 IIDA NeoCon Charette First Place Team Member Kelsey Ballast
  • Sherwin Williams STIR Top Ten Entrant Caitlyn Carr

2014-2015

  • Graduates: 17
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Job placement rate: 88% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 0%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Dawon Kim
  • NKBA Michigan Chapter Student Competition People's Choice Kaitlin O'Connell
  • IIDA MI Dr. Virginia North Student Competition Second Place Dawon Kim Third Place Amanda Hamberg and Mallarie Hiaeshutter
  • Rehau Student Competition First Place Mallarie Hiaeshutter
  • Interiors and Sources I Like Design! Top Ten Caitlyn Carr
  • ThinkUp! Design Competition Honorable Mention Amanda Hamberg, Kaitlin O'Connell, Kelsey Ballast, Madison Gentry
  • HKS Midwest Design Fellow Dawon Kim
  • Tower Pinkster Interior Design Endowed Scholarship Jena Glazier
  • Joe Withers Memorial Scholarship Victoria Hays
  • IIDA NeoCon Charette People's Choice Kaitlin O'Connell

2013-2014

  • Graduates: 20
  • Rentention rate: 95%
  • Job placement rate: 85% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 5%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum Scholarship Amanda Klein
  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship Amanda Klein
  • Steelcase NEXT Student Competition Honorable Mention - Courtney Wierzbicki
  • Ghiordes Knot Competition First Place - Chelsea Stafford Honorable Mention - Patrick Jackson
  • IIDA MI Dr. Virginia North Student Competition First Place - Amanda Klein Second Place - Marci Gibson and Courtney Wierzbicki Third Place - Dawon Kim
  • Klise Student Competition First Place - Chelsea McBurney (Interior Design) and Stacey Folker (Furniture Design) Second Place - Courtney Wierzbicki (Interior Design) and Kyle Kulchar (Furniture Design)
  • Rehau Student Competition First Place - Laurah Boogaard
  • Carnegie Student Competition Courtney Wierzbicki and Ashley Flamion

2012-2013

  • Graduates: 31
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Job placement rate: 87% at graduation
  • Graduate school admission: 6%

Awards/Competitions/Scholarships

  • George and Lucile Heeringa Trendway Scholarship: Kaitlyn Volpe
  • Ghiordes Knot Competition First Place - Laura Fussman Honorable Mention - Lauren Breymeyer and Michael Fisher
  • IIDA MI Dr. Virginia North Student Competition First Place - Kaitlyn Volpe Second Place - Kayla Mousseau
  • West Michigan NKBA Student Competition First Place - Courtney Wierzbicki Second Place - Emily May Third Place - Chelsea McBurney People's Choice - Amanda Klein Owner's Choice - Courtney Wierzbicki
  • Jeannette O'Brien Memorial Scholarship Claire Granskog