NEWH - Spring 2020 - 34

SCHOLARSHIPS

Meet the NEWH, Inc. 2019 scholarship
recipients awarded at BDNY and Gold Key
Photography by PWP Studio
Kayla Simmons
Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston - Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and
Restaurant Management
NEWH Women Leaders $5,000 scholarship, sponsored by Boutique Design Group

What does it mean to win this scholarship?
The hardships of funding higher education is a struggle most college students are too familiar with. Many
of us were not born into money or into a family that can fully fund our education, and for students such
as myself, money for school or anything else is extremely scarce. This scholarship means that I can stay
on course to pursuing my dreams. As a first-generation college student, having the opportunity to receive
a higher education is a privilege that I certainly don't take for granted and one that I value more than
anything. Being awarded this scholarship instilled a strong sense of confidence within myself that I had
been longing for.

Future outlook?

Kayla Simmons receives her
scholarship award during the
Women Leaders Breakfast at
BDNY

My future outlook is to continue on the path that I am on and always leaving room to grow both personally
and professionally. I hope to continue to inspire others and allow them to see that anything is possible for
those who work hard, never give up, and keep the faith.

Dream job?
A dream job for me is one that would place me into an executive leadership position, allowing me to provide
life-changing opportunities for others.

"Boutique Design is proud to support NEWH's ongoing efforts to enable this industry's future leaders prepare to play a role as gamechangers," says Mary Scoviak, editor in chief of Boutique Design magazine and conference director for BDNY. "This scholarship is an
investment in the people who will keep the hospitality industry vital and dynamic. NEWH's success in raising more than $6 million for
scholarships has ensured that the best and brightest get the education they need to make their mark in the hospitality business."

Joana Sotomayor
Interior Design, Fashion Institute of Technology
NEWH Design $3,000 scholarship, sponsored by Séura

What does it mean to win this scholarship?
This scholarship means I'll be able to have less work hours in the next semesters, allowing me to focus
on my studies and studio projects-giving me the opportunity to thrive in this field and dedicate all
my time to it.

Dream Job
I'd love to one day be the senior designer working on projects of alternative, out-of-the-ordinary hotels
around the world. I want to design hotels that are a part of one's travel, changing the perception of
hotels being only a resting area or a pitstop.

What intrigues you the most about the hospitality industry?
Having grown up with a flight pilot father, and a flight attendant mother, I frequently stayed at hotels
around the world. Even as a child I remember being so excited to arrive at the hotel in the beginning of
a trip, exploring it, seeing how one would be different than the last one, the difference between them in
different countries. Nowadays I understand the complexity of the hospitality industry, a mix between
residential and commercial, working to be a home to people of different cultures and personalities.

Brittany Johnson, NEWH past
vice president, scholarship; Rian
Cain, Séura; scholarship winner
Joana Sotomayor; and Virginia
Witte, Kimberly Timmons
Interiors, at the BDNY Women
Leaders Breakfast

Designers are the driving force behind many of Séura's inspirations and innovations, says Séura co-founder and CEO Gretchen
Gilbertson. "The Séura Studio Series scholarship has been a terrific avenue for Séura to support the future of our design community
and invest in the education of our youth."
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NEWH - Spring 2020

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