1st place:
Name: Christine Klomp
School: Utah State University

Even as a child, growing up in Kaysville, Utah, I always had a strong interest in art, design, colors, textures and shapes. My parents often commented on my eye for detail that found expression in my artwork. When my parents built a new home, I was captivated with the house plans and the design boards displaying an array of textured materials, luscious paints, beautiful window treatments, and classic furniture. I spent hours studying the details and imagining how our home would come alive. I think it was then that I determined to study design.

I attended Davis High School, graduating in 2000 with High Honors. While at Davis, I took a number of honors and "AP" courses. My favorite class, AP Art History, was not only challenging, but particularly motivating and fulfilling. I loved to study about the history of architecture, art and other cultures. It was a class that was not hard to attend. I have to admit, I still flip through the pages of our text and study its fascinating details. During my senior year, I thoroughly enjoyed an internship with Rice & Strand in North Salt Lake. This engaging and alluring experience reinforced my determination to study interior design.

My decision to move to Logan was strongly persuaded by Utah State's four-year interior design program. I have worked hard in my studies, making the Dean's List since my freshman year. I am a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key International Honor Society. This past year, I received the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded to interior design students.

Despite the many, painstaking hours, sleepless nights, and extensive hard work – I have, without a doubt, wholeheartedly enjoyed the interior design program. I find the process challenging, demanding, and rewarding. I guess this is what has kept interest and curiosity for so long. There are no limits what you can imagine, create or envision. Anything is possible with design.

The further I go in the design program, the more I think about design possibilities. I find myself constantly considering how to improve design projects. I'm embarrassed to admit that I eve dream about floor plans, fabrics and finished rooms. I have come to realize that most people take a pleasant home or office environment for granted. The thoughtful ouches, the play on colors, textures, and fabrics, and the careful blend of styles, often go unnoticed. Soon, I would like to make my designs become a reality, no longer merely concepts on foam board or sketches on a pad. When that time comes, my dreams of "what if" will finally become reality.