New JennAir Scholars Award
Award recipients Quianna Woolner, with Jihyuk Kim and Michelle Xu in foreground. Nader Al-Fahad not pictured.
JennAir recently donated $375,000 to create the JennAir Scholars Award at TMU’s School of Interior Design. The Award is a cornerstone of JennAir’s Disrupting Design program (external link, opens in new window) , which aims to create access and opportunities for racialized designers in the industry. Renewable in each year of their program, the award is for Black, Indigenous and racialized Interior Design students who demonstrate financial need, with the aim of increasing racial representation within the program and industry at large.
“Reducing the barriers to education is a significant first step toward increasing the representation of racialized students,” says Charles Falzon, dean of The Creative School.
Natalie Ramtahal, the manager of administration and equity in the School of Interior Design, notes, “Disrupting Design addresses the financial barriers experienced by racialized and immigrant students head-on. Additionally, the sponsorship component of the program provides a network of support for racialized students as they embark on their educational journeys and post-education opportunities.”
The program gives recipients a unique edge and immersive experience in the interior design industry. The inaugural recipients of the JennAir Scholars Award are Nader Al-Fahad, Jihyuk Kim, Quianna Woolner and Michelle Xu.
Dean Charles Falzon and Program Chair Colin Ripley, flanked by inaugural JennAir Scholars Michelle Xu, Jihyuk Kim, Nader Al-Fahad and Quianna Woolner.
“I’m incredibly grateful and honoured” says Xu. “Receiving the JennAir Award has made me appreciative of The Creative School for recognizing the diversity of our student population, and providing myself and others with more opportunities for success in our field.”
The JennAir Scholars Award aligns with the President’s Awards to Champion Excellence (PACE) in support of underrepresented and equity-deserving students — a funding priority at TMU.
An original version of this article by Asmaa Toor appeared in The Creative School’s Top Five (opens in new window) on November 8, 2022.