Growing up I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in interior design, but it wasn't until 2017 when my mother was diagnosed with Cancer that I knew that I had a passion for healthcare design.

One day I accompanied my mom to one of her chemotherapy appointments at the Grace Hospital in Winnipeg, MB. It was clear that the design focus was solely on patients physical comfort; although this is not a bad thing to design for, the furniture selection in combination with the room layout did not account for the patients mental comfort. The treatment room was lined with rows of oversized recliners and there was no spatial allocation for visitors. I had to grab a fold out chair from the supply closet and sit in the aisle beside my mom. On this day, a patient in the row behind us started having a medical emergency. I had to quickly stand up, fold the chair and get out of the aisle in order for the nurses to get access to the patient. It was this moment that made me think "what if I had a physical disability that would have prevented me from moving out of the way quickly? Would the patients condition gotten worse if I had delayed her from getting the help she needed?" It was this moment I realized Interior Design could impact a person on more than a purely aesthetic level.

Although my education at MRU was fantastic, we didn't have a lot of opportunity to explore healthcare design. For our thesis we were allowed to explore any field of interior design so, I took the opportunity to design a pediatric cancer care facility. During this time I worked with several experienced healthcare designers and learnt about the spatial needs of a healthcare facility, ADA compliance, and (a little bit about) working within the parameters of the CSA Z8000. The challenging nature of this of this project is what I found most appealing - I love to find creative solutions to complicated problems.

My interest in product design sparked after I won the NEWH Product Design Scholarship in 2019.

I am currently employed at Palliser Furniture where I get to explore my interest in product design by creating quality sofas, sectionals, recliners, accent chairs, and bed frames. I was initially hired as a Sales Associate in 2021 at the Palliser Factory Outlet. I fell in love with the brand and I was quickly promoted to Supervisor 4 months after my start date. In my Supervisor position I was able to learn more about the product development process and wanted to be a part of it. In 2022 I was awarded the position of Product Designer where I had implemented a new technical design package to help with ease and speed of production. Thank you to Palliser Furniture for supporting me during my education.

Bachelors of Applied Interior Design, Class of 2023

Mount Royal University

Calgary, AB, Canada

Certified in Standard First Aid & CPR/AED level C CSA Std. Z1210-17 – Intermediate

NEWH Product Design Scholarship // 2019

BOMA Calgary Foundation Bursary // 2019

Jason Lang Scholarship // 2018

Deans List // 2018