Get to know your board!!

Want to know who is on your board?? Read on and find out!

Mary Kate Duffy

I'm from the Chicago South suburb of Lansing, IL.  I chose to major in interior design because I've always been creative, but not artistic enough to go into the fine arts, and I whenever I would watch home makeover shows on TV, I'd always think, "hey, that looks really fun and I'd like to do that!"  I joined IIDA my freshman year and wasn't very involved, but as I went to more meetings and did more with the club, I realized it was giving me all of these cool opportunities to meet people and go places that I would have never had otherwise.  Being President has opened my eyes to what it's really like to run a club like this, and it's been challenging but I really love it.  I have a passion for helping people and IIDA has given me an outlet to help those who are in the same position I was 4 years ago, so getting to expose other students to the things I've been exposed to in the industry is very rewarding.

Elana Zusman

My name is Elana Zussman. I am a senior and Vice President of IIDA.  I am from Buffalo Grove. Illinois. I chose Interior Design because I used to redo my room all the time when I was younger.  I would rearrange my furniture and create zones in my room for doing certain activities.  I started watching HGTV and learned what Interior Design was and knew that is what I wanted to do. I like being on board because it is great to be apart of a club that does a lot of activities for our major.  Being on board you can talk and become friends with other people who want the same thing out of our experiences and want to share them with the other people in the major.  It is a great way to get involved and learn something from everyone.

 

Victor Lee

My name is Victor Lee, and I'm proudly the current GA of IIDA ISU chapter. 

I've always had a passion to live smart and comfortably, so interior design was a no brainer to me. What I love most about being with IIDA, is that I am constantly connected to the real world. Through IIDA, I've received an abundant number of opportunities to attend valuable events such as student mentoring week, guest speakers, continuing education, and field trips to Chicago, Merchandise Mart, and many other design/architecture firms. 

What you learn in school is undoubtedly important, but experiences outside the classroom a lot of times is what makes you stand out in a crowd of (friendly) competitors. Giving yourself an edge through IIDA is definitely a smart and fun choice, and I would absolutely recommend everyone in our sequence to make the best out of our professional student organization. 

Rachel Bohlmann

I'm from Ashkum a small farm town about an hour north of here. I've always loved design and have been interested in it. My Dad's an architect so I was lucky and able to grow up around the design industry, which played a big part in why I chose this major. I love all the detail that goes along with design. I enjoy being on the board because I get to help bring in speakers and make other fun design events happen.

 

Kathryn Cullen

Kathryn Cullen: Junior and the IIDA Treasurer. Born in North Carolina but moved to Bloomington, Illinois when I was a baby, and I have been here ever since. I have always had a love for design and art, and at age 8 I realized I wanted to study interior design when I grew up. I have been in the program since 2010 and continue to love design more and more with every class that I take. I have also been an IIDA member since I was a freshman and this is my first time on the board... and I love it! I am currently obsessed with everything grey and have an addiction with coffee, skinny jeans, and my bright red planner.

Lindsey Jungk

I am a junior Interior & Environmental Design major here at ISU. I am from a small rural town in southern Illinois called Jerseyville where I live on a farm.  I have always loved ISU, as my parents and older sister are alums of ISU. I’ve always been interested in interior design since I was a child, deciding how to arrange my room and what my dream house would be like. I pursued the dream of an interior designer because my sister shared this interest, as she has a degree in IED. I am also on the board for ISU’s chapter of IIDA as the Public Relations Chair. I notify everyone about meetings and events within our chapter, as well as the state chapter. I am responsible for getting students to join our chapter and continually get members involved. I also help other board members when they need help with their own duties. It is an important and fun chair with differing tasks!

Kristina Michelsen

My name is Kristina Michelsen, and I am finishing up my Junior year as an IED major with a minor in Business Administration. I am from the Northwest Suburbs, and I chose interior Design because my father had been a project manager at McHugh Construction in Chicago, and now works in Real Estate Development for Calamos Investments in Naperville. This summer, I am picking between two firms for an internship on hospitality or corporate design.  I love being on the board of the IIDA ISU Chapter because it is a fantastic addition to your resume, and it provides multiple opportunities to network, to gain leadership skills, and to make lasting friendships.

 

Caitlyn Roberts

Hello!! Okay I chose interior design because my grandpa designed custom range/stove hoods for high end homes throughout the Chicago land area and I always enjoyed watching him work and learning from him. I like being on the board because it keeps me up to date with what is going on in the department and from the career stand point. I enjoy setting goals for myself and working hard and being on the board pushes me to do just that. I enjoy being surrounded by IIDA and it's members. I believe it had taught me a lot about the profession and interior design in general. I am from Roscoe, Illinois.

Kayla McDonough

I am Kayla McDonough. I am a senior this year in IED.  I am from southern Illinois, by St. Louis.  I chose Interior Design because I love being creative and helping people, interior design is the best of both.  I am the service chair and I love being on the board.  I like organizing volunteer and service work for IIDA to do together.  

Kurstin Holcom

I am a senior here at ISU! I am the chapter’s webmaster. I am from the Southside of Chicago, near Midway airport. I am in charge of all of the posts you see here on the blog and event pages on the Facebook page. I really enjoy being a part of the board. It allows me to give input on ways to make our chapter better. It also allows me to be more involved in events and what is going on in the design industry. It is also a great way to network and make connections! I chose design because I always wanted to help people. I also wanted be able to use creativity in the work that I do. Design is the best of both of those!