Two students have brought national recognition to Texas State’s Interior Design program through their dedication to succeed. One, however, sets the record as the first Bobcat to win a certain title.
Lindzey Duval, a recent graduate, won the prestigious International Interior Design Association’s student of the year award.
The IIDA award is presented to a member of the association who has made an important impact on the interior design program at their own university. The student of the year award is only given to one student nationwide per year.
Duval, who was the president of the IIDA’s Texas State chapter, is the first student from Texas State who has applied and won the award.
“Texas State University’s interior design program is top rank in the South and we don’t get a lot of recognition,” Duval said. “Overall, I felt like we were overlooked or maybe we weren’t engaging ourselves further, so that’s what kind of motivated me to think about it and say, ‘I have the chance to do this, this is bigger than myself, this can apply to our program.’”
Morgan Lebsack, interior design senior, won the Angelo Donghia Foundation scholarship. The $30,000 scholarship was only awarded to 13 students nationwide and is only available to seniors who have an entire year left.
Lebsack was the first Texas State student to be awarded the scholarship. As the vice president of the IIDA at Texas State, her success highlights the noteworthiness of the school’s interior design program.
“I told my professor, Anjali, that I was interested and to keep me updated and how to go about the competition,” Lebsack said. “I decided to submit my for the competition and it went through three jury reviews to get to the final review. Our professors are probably our best resources. They really know what they are talking about, and we really trust and rely on them.”
Caroline Hill, assistant professor of interior design has been working at the university for over 12 years and has worked closely with the students.
“I’m so very proud of both of them,” Hill said. “They’re very different awards, Lindzey’s is really for leadership and sort of serving the program from a very broad perspective. Morgan’s is really exciting because she poured her heart and soul into the project that won her that award. I think it speaks very well of our program.”
Anjali Bhalodia, assistant professor of interior design, taught both students and has been working at the university for about two years.
“It’s not just about the program but it’s also about our students,” Bhalodia said. “I think it’s important to note that our students are very hardworking. A majority of them do have part-time jobs or they are first generation college students. Awards like these are also a testament to the hard work that they are willing to put in and the drive and passion they have.”