Senior Interior Design Student Awarded Prestigious Donghia Foundation Scholarship

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Kelly Walsh, a fourth-year interior design student, has received the Senior Student Scholarship from the Angelo Donghia Foundation.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Kelly Walsh, a fourth-year interior design student at the University of Arkansas, has received the Senior Student Scholarship from the Angelo Donghia Foundation.

The foundation created the scholarship program in 2002 in hopes of continuing the advancement of interior design education, and it awarded 14 scholarships this year.

Carl Matthews, the head of the Department of Interior Design in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, said that this scholarship puts Walsh as one of the top 14 interior design students in the nation.

"Comparable to sports teams, it would be like being selected to play on the national all-star team. Winning the scholarship can open doors to jobs at the top firms in the country," Matthews said.

He also mentioned how the scholarship can lift some of the financial burden off the shoulders of students during their final year.

This scholarship is not only prestigious, it also comes with a big reward of $30,000. Each scholarship winner received up to $30,000 in scholarship money to be applied toward senior year expenses of tuition, board, maintenance and books. Walsh, who was awarded the full scholarship, decided to use the money to fund her study abroad trip in Rome during this fall semester.

After studying in Rome this summer, Walsh felt so moved by the experience that she knew she wanted to do it again for a longer period of time.

"It was a life-changing experience, and I wasn't ready to leave at the end of the month. I just didn't feel like I was done here," said Walsh, who is currently living and studying in Rome.

Matthews told her about the opportunity to take a studio at the U of A Rome Center. She knew that, if she did not seize that opportunity, she would regret it.

She has enjoyed her time in Rome this semester so far, and is in class with 10 students from Philadelphia University. Being with different people from other schools — as well as living in another country — has helped her learn new ways of thinking.

Walsh worked on her competition submission in the spring 2015 semester, under the teaching supervision of Jennifer Webb and Marie Gentry, both interior design faculty members. Her design project, called Olfactory, is an interactive fragrance house characterized by the idea of the visual scent. Multi-sensory experiences with the raw materials, essential oils and spatial characteristics appeal to the adventuresome, the experienced and the newcomers to the world of scent. Visitors are encouraged to create their own unique scent.

Walsh could not hide her tears of joy when she received the news about the scholarship. She said that she truly believes that hard work pays off, and she was just proud that the judges believed in the work that she had done.

She is the seventh Donghia Foundation Scholarship winner that Matthews has taught; the others occurred while he was at the University of Texas at Austin. He called it gratifying to see so many of his students succeed through this scholarship. He has seen repeatedly how the scholarship pushes students to perform and achieve at a higher level throughout the school year.

"I believe the scholarship program can contribute more to the overall improvement of design and professionalism than any other single offering of a design school," Matthews said.

Walsh will continue studying in Rome during the fall semester and then plans to move back to Dallas after graduation in May. She believes that the scholarship has opened many doors for her and has reinforced her belief that she is capable of accomplishing any of her dreams.