NEWH - March 2008 - (Page 26)
scholarship
Future’s So Bright
Meet NEWH’s newest Icon of Industry scholarship winner, Ashley Anderson By Alia Akkam
Above: Ashley Anderson.
Top, left to right:
Renderings of the private
dining and main dining
areas of Glo, a restaurant
Anderson designed for her
hospitality studio at
Georgia Southern
University.
IT WAS JUST A REGULAR DAY FOR ASHLEY
ANDERSON. She was sitting on her front porch, sketching, when the phone rang: she had won an Icon of
Industry scholarship. “I was so shocked, I couldn’t
believe it,” she recalls.
A senior at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro,
Anderson will graduate in May with a B.S. in Interior
Design. When her hospitality design studio professor
forwarded her information about the Icon scholarship,
Anderson decided to apply, working diligently on writing
her paper, and getting her portfolio in order.
So far, Anderson thinks the NEWH-sponsored trip to
New York City has been the most eye-opening aspect of
the scholarship. “The trip to New York was amazing. I’d
never been there before,” says the Georgia native. “It was
a well-rounded experience,” she continues, pointing out
that she grew professionally, exercising her time management and writing skills. “This [the scholarship] will open
doors because of the recognition. Because of NEWH, I’ll at
least get a conversation with potential employers when I
graduate.”
But, it’s Anderson’s practical experience that should
also make those potential employers a captive audience.
Last summer, she interned in Marietta, Georgia, at Design
Directions Incorporated, following her desire to work in
26 march 2008 www.newh.org tel 800.593.NEWH
the hospitality sphere. There, she maintained the
resource library and spec books, and also had the chance
to select finishings and furnishings. “It gave me a great
idea of what to expect from the industry,” Anderson says.
Her other key design experience comes from working
at Crossfields, Inc., a small commercial firm in Kennesaw,
Georgia, where the vice president became her mentor. “It
was great because I went to client meetings and started
drawings. It prepared me and gave me a good taste of the
interior design life,” she explains.
In the midst of sending out resumes, the ambitious
Anderson has been scoping out various design firms
across the country (she’s particularly drawn to Seattle and
Colorado), paying careful attention to their mission statements and commitments to sustainability. “It’s something
fun and imaginative,” she says of working in hospitality
design. “I love the idea of working in hotels and making
something hospitable for people.”
Looking way ahead, she’s already contemplating opening a B&B of her own post-retirement, something that
traces back to her days of helping set up the guest bedroom to perfection as a kid. But for now, Anderson’s fiveyear plan is no less daunting. “I want to become a more
developed designer,” she says. “I want to make my mark
on the hospitality world. I want to be a major player.” I
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - March 2008
NEWH - March 2008
Contents
Network Leaders
News
Have you Seen?
Product Know-How
On the Scene
Sustainability: Point of View
Scholarship: Future’s So Bright
Design 101: Hotel Renovations
Cover Story: Friendly Fabrics
Project: Jazzed Up
Project: Presidential Redo
New Members
Save the Date
Partner Profiles
NEWH - March 2008
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