Interior Design Student Emily Simmering Wins Essay Contest

MC senior Emily Simmering of Gulf Breeze, Florida

Emily Simmering seeks to impact lives as a future interior designer.

A Mississippi College senior, Simmering penned an essay exploring how her profession intends to do just that.

It was good enough for Simmering to recently win an essay contest sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers in its South Central Region. Advancing the profession, the association’s region covers Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana.

As a future designer, Emily wants to “craft spaces that are not only aesthetically beautiful, but accessible to everyone. I hope to paint a picture in the client’s heads about their future customers or employees’ needs.”

In her essay, the interior design student wrote that clients “need to see how imperative it is to their business that spaces have a universal design that’s welcoming and functional to all.”

One of Simmering’s family members is visually impaired and navigates through life’s spaces, both public and private, with his seeing eye dog. Experiencing how he moves through life’s spaces “shows me how important the smallest design details can be,” Emily said.

As an interior designer, the 21-year-old Gulf Breeze, Florida resident wants to “create spaces that impacts and makes life better.’’

The regional chapter of the Washington-based organization includes nearly 700 student and professional members. Competition winners from regions nationwide will attend a student interior design conference in New York City.

Mandy Berdami, director of the interior Design program in the MC Department of Art, raves about Emily Simmering’s accomplishments on the Clinton campus as she pursues her life’s calling.

Her successful entry pays her expenses to attend an interior design conference in the Empire State, Berdami noted. “She will network with a variety of design professionals from all over the country and learn a great deal about the industry.”

Happening prior to her Mississippi College graduation in May, Emily will gain insights by attending meetings of America’s oldest and largest professional organization for interior designers. Founded in 1975, the group includes 13,500 design members nationwide. There are 5,500 student members and 6,000 industry partners signed up.

The Floridian was recognized for the honor in the South Central chapter’s monthly newsletter. Graduate School Dean Debbie Norris joined Art Department professors adding their congratulations to the innovative Mississippi College student.