Ariadna Hernandez

It didn’t matter that Ariadna Hernandez, then a graphic designer, didn’t have prior experience in interior design or architecture. Jefferson considers applicants of all backgrounds.

“They even offered me an assistantship, so the decision [to attend Jefferson] was easy,” she enthuses. “I am grateful to have chosen Jefferson since interior architecture is very competitive at this college and the opportunities to meet people from the industry are always present in events, internships, and competitions.”

Her Jefferson experience was everything she hoped it would be. Her favourite classes? The studios. For four to six weeks, students create an entire project, selecting a concept and materials; creating renderings and models; as well as designing boards and presenting in front of critics. As they must use all of the skills they learned from the other classes, Hernandez realized how much knowledge she was gaining each semester.

It was a lot. In some classes, she got to collaborate with diverse teams across a range of fields. Hernandez also held an assistantship, an internship and a position. Many aspects of her Jefferson experience were “perfect examples” of professional life, the graduate recalls.

The top three skills she gained were 3D modelling, public speaking and time management — a crisis-proof set, as Hernandez would discover. Despite graduating amid a pandemic, she landed a job as an interior designer with architecture firm Ballinger.

“I graduated exactly when the pandemic started, meaning thate were forced to work remotely,” she explains. “In-person meetings were cancelled and therefore being able to manage time well, communicate effectively in meetings and presenting ideas/models through a screen became helpful.”

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