Wilsonart Essay Competition

The Wilsonart Student Essay Competition awards scholarships to students that participate in the IIDA Student Mentorship program. In the IIDA Student Mentorship Program, student participants gain invaluable professional development and mentorship from professionals in the interior design industry.

The Wilsonart Student Education Fund created this scholarship to provide students with the opportunity to reflect on the value of their IIDA Mentorship program experience and further advance their education in interior design.

Eligibility

Students that participate in the IIDA Student Mentoring program are encouraged to apply.

Submissions

Applications are now open. Apply here

Award

This program will award one recipient with a $1,000 scholarship courtesy of the Wilsonart Student Education Fund. Wilsonart will provide the winner with roundtrip airfare and hotel stay in Chicago during NeoCon. The recipient will also receive official digital assets, a mention on IIDA’s website, and recognition on IIDA social media channels.

For questions or more information, contact the IIDA Foundation at foundation@iida.org.

2025 Wilsonart Student Essay Winner

Kami Huynh, Student IIDA
San Jose State University

Huynh's winning essay titled "The Confidence to Show Up", details the most important lessons she learned from her mentor and the importance of being who you are and how your perspective can help shape the built environment. Read essay here

2024 Wilsonart Student Essay Winner

Scott Ware, Student IIDA
Dakota County Technical College, Minnesota

In his essay titled, "The Lighthouse: How Mentorship Helped Me Navigate New Beginnings," Ware writes about navigating a new career as a non-traditional student, while facing personal loss—an experience that he says proved to be priceless, invaluable, and unparalleled. Read the essay here