Dequita White

DEQUITA WHITE
Interior Design
Place of Employment: In 2 Furniture


DeQuita White, who graduated in June 2005, is thrilled with her new position as Showroom Manager for “In 2 Furniture,” an edgy, contemporary furniture company where she not only works with customers but also oversees showroom displays.

The showroom is about to “go bold,” so DeQuita is up to her neck in paint colors and other activities related to a full-scale showroom renovation. She’s putting to use all she learned in the Interior Design program and spends much of her time reviewing the lessons she learned.

Her advice to students: Learn everything you can, and don’t just memorize information for the moment for testing. Really learn it so you can apply it in the future.

DIONTE SIMS
Interior Design
Place of Employment: University of North Carolina at Charlotte


Before he graduated in September, Dionte Sims already had traded one institution of higher learning for another, beginning work two weeks earlier at UNCC as Facilities Information Systems Administrator and Archivist Administrator -- a big title with big responsibilities. With all the expansion and new construction at the university, Sims’ job generally is to ensure that the new facilities are consistent in design with existing structures and to maintain the facilities’ archives.

He got the job because, thanks to his education here, he had both technical and design skills – particularly, he believes, what he learned about measurement conversions.

Dionte’s advice to students: Network, network, network. It may not seem like it at the time, but the final result pays off.

Emily Simpson

EMILY SIMPSON
INTERIOR DESIGN
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: A.HOKE
LIMITED-TO-THE-TRADE DESIGN SHOWROOM

Like many other successful students at The Art Institute of Charlotte, Emily Simpson obtained her full-time position at A. Hoke Limited when she served her 2nd-quarter internship at the showroom. She describes herself as a sort of “design assistant or associate,” and her responsibilities vary from day to day. Primarily, they include assisting designers with fabric, trim, wallpaper and hardware selection. Emily works directly with exclusive vendors the company represents and places orders for the designers. The management plans to train her in various other positions of the showroom, as well.

AICH provided her with a strong knowledge of Interior Design, Emily said. “Making the most of your education will help you obtain a position within your chosen field of interest.”

Emily’s advice to students: Follow your passion and study something you truly love. Ultimately, the more you enjoy your career the more likely you are to succeed. I also would strongly support the idea of vast research when looking for an internship. My internship experiences in the industry were very valuable, and the experience I gained helped me obtain a position in the field.

Faye Buck
Interior Design
Place of Employment: Home Depot

Faye Buck could not be happier with the way things have turned out since she got out of the drapery business, got her AA in Interior Design, and was hired along with fellow AiCH grad Evie Grant, as a kitchen designer for Home Depot. She “really, really” can meet people’s needs in kitchen or bathroom design and space planning – even down to explaining why a certain cabinet hardware may look good now but won’t be comfortable next year.

Her studies make the difference. Faye’s CAD training made it “a breeze” to learn 20-20, the software program she now uses. Space planning, government regs -- even when she’s forgotten a specific about, say, lighting, as soon as she starts looking at it the knowledge comes back. She’s able help her clients, and to explain the hows and whys. “I know what I’m talking about, and they know I know what I’m talking about,” she said.

Faye’s advice to students: Seek out the area that makes you happy, then go for it. And study, study, study, study.

LaTarsha Lawrence

Drafting Coordinator
Corning, Incorporated

LaTarsha Lawrence is the Drafting Coordinator for Corning, Incorporated, in Midland, North Carolina. She supervises four employees. She recently was promoted from the AutoCad division to Drafting. Corning, Inc., has locations in Charlotte, Midland, California, New York, Australia, China, and Germany. The headquarters is based out of New York. LaTarsha is responsible for completing and referencing drawings before final production.

LaTarsha finds her career challenging and rewarding due to the hands-on experience she gains. The AiCH course she most values is AutoCad because she uses it every day. LaTarsha recently got a business license and opened a part-time business named Designer Images. She advises students never to give up and to realize it takes experience to work your way up. In the next five years she plans to gain clientele and, possibly, move her business to Wilmington, North Carolina.

Marie Southworth

Interior Designer
Corporate Design Group, Inc.

Marie Southworth is an Interior Designer for Corporate Design Group, Incorporated, in Mooresville, North Carolina. Her responsibilities include completing purchase order forms, placing orders, markup, and assisting clients select items for their homes. Most of her work involves commercial clientele. Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhart are a couple of Nascar customers.
She completed her internship with Warner York Home Signatures in Cornelius, North Carolina. Her duties included retail, completing sales forms research, and photo shoots. She owned an Art Gallery in Minnesota for ten years before becoming an Interior Designer.
Marie is a firm believer that you get out of something what you put into it! She put 100% into her coursework and is truly delighted with the outcome. She recommends all classes within the Interior Design program. Her favorite is Product Knowledge and Professional Practices. Marie plans to stay with Corporate Design Group, Inc., to make it even more than it already is. She passes along the following advice to students; “At any point in time you feel you’re loosing your dream, do something to remind yourself why you started. Don’t ever give up because the end result will be worthwhile!”

Nicole Morgan

Interior Designer
Scott Miller and Associates

Nicole Morgan is working for Scott Miller and Associates as the Textile Representative. She is fascinated with her position because she has the opportunity to travel and work with the largest architecture and design firms in the city. She owes her success to the knowledge she gained in the textile class at the Art Institute of Charlotte and experience through interning. Nicole is a very dedicated individual and strives to succeed. In the future she can see herself in a similar position as the one she’s in now and possibly even working with furniture.

The advice she gives to students is to make the most of internship experience and to get involved with professional organizations. She recommends meeting as many people as possible. She enjoys networking and getting to know others in the field. As an interior designer it is vital to get to know professionals in the field and learn new styles.

Stasia Berk

Interior Designer
House of Design

Stasia Berk is one of six designers for the House of Design in Hilton Head. She received her training in Residential Design from the Art Institute of Charlotte and went on to obtain her independent license upon graduation. She has always been interested in interior design, and developed relationships with design people in her community at Hilton Head. She attended several informational interviews and met with architects and builders to gain more insight into the field. By pulling together all of these resources, Stasia was able to obtain a job working for the House of Design.

As a designer, Stasia is responsible for helping people put together designs for the yachting and hospitality industries in her area. However, she does travel frequently to Hickory and to High Point to gather additional input. She truly enjoyed her experience at The Art Institute and is proud of her accomplishments. Stasia also says that her Perspectives class and her Residential Design class helped her pull everything together and provided her with the knowledge and skill to be able to perform well in her job setting.

In addition, Stasia advises students to set goals, know what they want to accomplish, and work hard on projects to make putting together a portfolio easier later on. Her portfolio is quite impressive and will assist her as she continues to grow in the field. She encourages students to stay focused and pursue their goals to the fullest.