Lauren Fabin of Winchester, Virginia, a Virginia Tech senior double majoring in interior design and studio arts in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, has received a $30,000 scholarship from the Angelo Donghia Foundation’s 2015 Student Scholarship Program in Interior Design.

Launched in 2002, the Angelo Donghia Foundation, a privately held not-for-profit organization, awards scholarships to promising students who are entering their senior year in a baccalaureate degree program in interior design.

Fabin was nominated by faculty in Virginia Tech’s interior design program to apply and submit one project to the scholarship committee. For consideration, she submitted a project completed during spring semester — a Middle Eastern restaurant in Cairo that drew from Japanese philosophies to create a unique and culture-friendly atmosphere.

Fabin was one of 14 winners selected from fifty-four student projects submitted by accredited institutions. Each student winner will receive up to a $30,000 scholarship to be applied towards senior year tuition, board, maintenance, and books. A panel including designers, architects, and members of the press evaluated the submissions and awarded Fabin the full $30,000.

“I will be a fifth year senior and my parents, both public school art teachers, were going to be helping me to pay for school, housing, and the tons of supplies that are needed for my double major. This scholarship takes care of all of it. I can't express how good it feels to know that I have officially paid my last Virginia Tech bill a year early. And to be able to relieve my parents means even more,” Fabin said.

However, Fabin also feels that the honor of receiving the scholarship goes beyond the financial rewards.

“Although the monetary value is a great reward, I am extremely honored and proud to have received the recognition and represent Virginia Tech's interior design program. We are a hard-working and devoted bunch, and the staff consistently encourages us to push the disciplinary boundaries, and their knowledge and encouragement is invaluable.”

 

 

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