Elizabeth is originally from Chicago and grew up in a typical midwestern home. She is the oldest sibling of three immigrant parents and grew up always wanting to pursue a career in the medical field. Because of her love of science and medicine, Elizabeth pursued a career in nursing, which expanded to become an Army Critical Care Flight Nurse. Her nursing experience spans a 15-year timeframe, from working as a civilian nurse, serving in the Army, and serving in combat to working in the community during COVID-19. After years of working in intense nursing settings, her career took its toll on her work-life balance, and she wondered what it would be like to pursue a career that involved a bit more creativity.
Her passion for interior design and appreciation for architecture started in 2015 when she was deployed. During her time away from home, she found herself constantly designing and re-thinking how she wanted to redo her 1970’s bathroom. Thinking about her house while deployed for 11 months brought her comfort and kept her brain in a positive space. Elizabeth remembers, “the interior design aspect of it brought me joy at the end of stressful missions.” Once she was home, all the dreaming up of ideas was put into action with the help of an interior designer. She found herself loving the process of updating her retro bathroom.
After her positive experience working with the interior designer, she felt that she too, could create spaces for people and their families that would contribute to daily healing and provide happiness. Elizabeth decided to take a leap and enroll at Heritage Denver. Her experience at Heritage has been positive and inviting. “From the start, the staff and faculty are professional, and it’s been like joining a big family. My classmates have made this experience fun, and being around so many professionals from different career backgrounds have allowed us to bond and encourage each other.”
Elizabeth is unsure of what the future holds for her as an interior designer upon graduation. As a student, she wants to be open and enjoy the journey taking in as much information as possible. She looks forward to learning more about how each specialty operates within the field. She knows her path will become more apparent as she completes the certification.