My mother, Tonya, sounds a lot like Mrs. Lena B. Davis: sewing “love, encouragement, and unwavering belief into life, embodying the power of sewing into others not just through grand gestures, but in everyday moments of kindness, laughter, care, and faith.” My mother raised my sister and I to live life in service to God, spreading kindness, working hard, and sharing positivity with others. Sadly, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2024, right as I was entering my sophomore year. Going into my second year as a college student, while worrying about my mother’s health, medical bills, and her mental health/the mental health of my family was an extremely difficult experience that has changed my view of life, my goals, and my view of student debt. My mother’s radiation treatments, the side effects she experienced, and knowing that she was dealing with this while working a full-time job weighed heavily on my heart. This hindered my ability to perform at my highest potential during the academic year; however, the support I received from my college and professors allowed me to end the 2025 semester with a 3.52 GPA, earning a spot on the Dean’s List once again! Experiencing the support of my community made me want to give back, and thankfully, after all the treatments, medication and stress, my mother is cancer free– with a less than one percent chance of recurrence. Unfortunately, my mother was required to have two surgeries as well as stay on an expensive medication for the next five years, further adding to our financial burdens. While fearing the loss of my mother and the financial debt we would have, I resolved in my heart that my mother would see me graduate debt free, releasing a burden for her and my family. With the help of my professors and the wonderful donors here on bold.org, I have been able to win up to $3,500 in scholarships to progress towards this goal. Even so, I have about $38,000 in student debt with the potential of having to take out even more student loans. Though my rigorous coursework does not allow me to work throughout the school year, I am in the process of creating my own business to support my family during the summers and fulfill my goal. I believe that opening this business will help me support myself through my last two years of college, pay off my loans, and gain the knowledge and experiences that owning and running a business may provide. I also hope to provide my classmates with job opportunities so that I can give back to my community, providing my peers with an opportunity to gain knowledge and pay off their debts as well! With this company, I have the ability to help support cancer survivors and patients through design, giving them more accessible ways to get treatment, support them and their needs in the home, and redesign their spaces to deal with the side effects of cancer treatment and stress. Please help me honor my mother, letting her see the first person in her family to graduate college– and sew into the minds of my peers, the importance of community support and hope for a beautiful future!

I have demonstrated my abilities as a leader in the interior design field throughout my entire college career– I was nominated as a top 10 finalist for the National mohawk group carpet design for 2025, won the Sallie Rowland interior design scholarship offered on Bold.org, as well as an interior design scholarship from the Winthrop interior design program. I continue to set an example of leadership through my honors degree and earning multiple spots on the dean’s list throughout my time at Winthrop University. In addition to my achievements as a student, I am involved in Winthrop University’s Interior Design Organization, functioning as secretary for my club. I am also a member of the South Carolina Chapter of the NEWH that facilitates designers and interior design students with opportunities to network, learn about hospitality interior design, and win scholarships for projects and schooling. Some challenges that I have faced include paying off my student debt, helping my mom through her breast cancer journey, the death of over five of my family members, as well as affording my tuition and dealing with severe depression. My mother has had radiation treatments as well as two surgeries to now be cancer free! Though my mother is better now, the medication she is on makes it very difficult for her to work– she often has severe fatigue, pain, and struggles to walk well. It was very difficult for me to deal with the fear of losing my mother as well as other family members while being so far from home and trying to stay on top of my work, clubs, and mental health. Some strategies I used to cope with these difficult situations were praying, maintaining a consistent schedule, recognizing my limitations, and taking advantage of the resources on campus. Reaching out to my professors and the student health services at Winthrop University has made a world of difference in dealing with these challenges. Attending regular therapy sessions, included in my tuition, as well as the support of my professors throughout my college career, has truly helped me to thrive in this environment, even allowing me to pay off over $12,000 of student debt! Unfortunately, I have over 38,000 dollars in student debt as I enter my junior year of college and have been working hard to earn money to relieve myself of this debt. With your help I hope to lower this student debt and further focus on my goals such as owning my first business, continuing to participate in my college campus, and leading the students of Winthrop university to success! This month I am excited to start the process of opening my Interior Design Firm, Articulate Designs! I believe that opening this business will help me support myself through my last two years of college, pay off my loans, as well as gain the knowledge and experiences that owning and running a business may provide. I also hope to provide my classmates with job opportunities through my business so that I can give back to my community, providing my peers with an opportunity to gain knowledge and pay off their debts as well! Thank you for taking the time to review my application! I hope you will see my potential and drive to become a pillar for my community and the interior design field. This scholarship is not just an investment in me but also in my community!

Hello! My name is Addison Jenkins, and I am a sophomore at Winthrop University in South Carolina. I am a proud interior design student and excited to bring creative and innovative designs to the interior design world. I hope to work in an array of fields such as Hospitality, Residential, Exhibit, Furniture Design, and so much more! I believe there is no such thing as being too educated and I plan to learn as much as I can!      I want to start my essay by expressing my deep gratitude for being selected as a finalist in last year’s round of applicants. Even though I didn’t win, the excitement of being a finalist gave me the courage to continue with my interior design goals and scholarship applications. I hope to build on that momentum and display my growth and dedication in this year's application process.      Humble Yet Hungry: Something that I value as a designer and individual, is the fact that I will never know everything about anything. This is an idea that governs my life and my designs as an interior design student. There is always something else to learn, a different way to learn it, or a completely undiscovered idea or design, and that is so exciting to me! My favorite part about being an interior design student is feedback from my peers and professors. I love being molded by others to combine the best aspects of all perspectives, designs, and cultures. My hunger for education is a driving force in my designs and I hope to learn even more as I continue my journey.    Focused yet Fun: Throughout my academic career, I have displayed the necessary qualifications to be a focused and fun student. I have been/am a member of the National Honor Society, Gamma Beta Phi, and Alpha Lamba Delta Chapters at Winthrop University! I also earned a place on Winthrop’s Dean’s list for my first semester in college, the Fall 2023 semester! Despite my academic achievements, I manage to make time for things that are important to my happiness and health, such as meeting new people/businesses at on-campus events, art, spending time with my wonderful family, and learning new languages in my free time!    Super yet Human: Something that I had to learn in my first year at college is that I am going to make mistakes as a designer, and that is part of life and the design process. I view my shortcomings as room for improvement rather than faults in character or effort. Instead of showing only my best work in my portfolio, I want to show the worst too. I want to show my growth as a person, student, and designer. I am proud of the mistakes I have made and recognized, as they have allowed me to become a better person and designer. Every mistake is a step towards improvement in my book. This helps me be positive about my plans and goals. Part of being a good designer is being human, recognizing my faults, desires, and improvements allows me to see those in my designs, further fueling my growth.      I am the personification of Luminaut’s core values, this is evident through my accomplishments academically and my portfolio. I want to thank you (The scholarship Panel) once again for this opportunity and for considering my application. I hope you see my passion for interior design, my desire to grow, and the luminary I can be!

I have had a deep desire to make a significant difference in the world and my community since I was young. My passion for volunteer work, sustainability, and art are the reasons behind my drive to lead a meaningful life. While looking for these aspects regarding my career, I stumbled upon the field of interior design. It astounded me that I could alter or restore life within a building, shelter, or community through my artistic and design abilities. Interior design satisfies my desire to use what I love every day to help others and benefit my community. I believe that through interior design, I can make a lasting impact on people's lives and the community. Interior design is a kind of art that can be used practically and functionally, in contrast to traditional art forms. This combination of creativity and functionality is what draws me to interior design. Effective interior design enhances not only aesthetics but also the mental and physical well-being of its occupants. In my volunteer work, I have seen firsthand how poorly designed spaces can greatly impact the quality of life for both humans and animals. I have seen healthy animals put down due to a lack of space and many other unfortunate cases. These experiences are what inspired me to pursue a career in interior design. In addition to enhancing the quality of life, I believe that I can extend the lives of animals and better serve the underprivileged by concentrating on designing spaces that are not only aesthetically appealing but also sustainable and functional.   I am passionate about creativity and sustainability and I want to make a difference in the world. Interior design is the perfect career path for me as it allows me to combine these interests and goals. I intend to earn a bachelor's degree in interior design from Winthrop University, where I will develop the knowledge and skills I need to create spaces that are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly. While earning my degree, I plan to gain hands-on experience through internships and projects focused on sustainability in interior design. After graduation, I aim to work with organizations that focus on revitalizing communities and shelters, such as those for domestic violence victims, the homeless, and even animal shelters.  My goal is to concentrate on initiatives that integrate biophilic elements of design and promote sustainability in my designs. With an emphasis on eco-friendly materials and techniques, my goal is to develop designs that contribute to individual and ecological well-being. Interior design has the power to transform lives, and I am passionate about using my creativity to make a positive impact in the world. I am committed to developing my skills and using them to serve my community.

Humble yet hungry: “Humility is the price you pay for a lifetime of knowledge.” Humility requires work. It’s easy to take credit for something good but it’s much more admirable to admit to a mistake or something you don’t know. When I was young it was almost impossible for me to ask for help, even from my family and friends. I often felt ashamed or as if I should have tried harder to understand the problems I faced. Humility was required to admit that I did not know something and that I needed to ask for help. However, it wasn’t something that felt okay to display at that time. I grew to have a deep appreciation for humility while volunteering over the years. Seeing those in need reluctantly ask help for help at food banks, shelters, and in school, showed me how ridiculous I had acted in the past. I knew that these people had no reason to be ashamed, so why should I? I admit that I still struggle sometimes, however, I have learned so much in practicing this type of humility. This is something I will apply in my work as an interior designer, asking questions when needed and not being shy to do so. I still like to problem-solve, however, I do know that there is always something someone else can do better or faster. Working as a team member, rather than an independent force has given me so much knowledge and new perspectives. It is something I will continue doing as an interior designer. Focused yet fun: One of the things that I love most in interior design and architecture is the opportunity to incorporate the most outlandish, brilliant, and bold ideas into a safe atmosphere. The most awe-inspiring designs are created through controlled chaos. I believe that as adults, we frequently dim our inner child to be successful rather than letting our childish curiosity and desire to gain knowledge plunge us into a successful career. Many modern designs are devoid of color, organic shapes, or even originality. I’ve seen countless boring designs. Black, white, and gray are being reused and abused, mixed up in different styles, and thrown into countless spaces. Designs today destroy character and fluidity rather than emphasizing it, something I will never do as an interior designer. As someone who is obsessed with nature and has a strong desire to redefine the boundaries of design, I bring an array of colors, cultures, and ideas to this new era of repetitive, boring, and unoriginal designs. Having a deep desire to create spaces that feel like my clients' wildest desires. My designs will be vibrant in color, balanced, and full of life. Super yet human: I know that when I am given the tools to thrive, I will be an unstoppable force. I have all the qualities required to succeed: drive, a deep appreciation for design, the ability to admit what I don’t know, and the confidence to learn what I don’t. I am an ideal representation of Luminaut values. I have the drive, and core values, and soon will have the education and experience to change the world with beautiful designs, spaces, and homes. I know that I know very little and lack a detailed portfolio, but given the chance to learn something that benefits so many people long and short-term, pushes me to soak up all the knowledge and opportunities provided to me.