CAROLINE GILROY About Me,

MAJOR: INTERIOR DESIGN | CREATE PATH TO THE MBA

CLASS: JUNIOR '24

GPA: 4.0/4.0

For as long as I can remember, my passions have stemmed from a place of creativity. I have always excelled in areas such as English, creative writing, music, and art. As I grew up, I was constantly painting, drawing, dancing, and creating. These hobbies allowed me to develop the visionary characteristics that led me to attend The University of Alabama and enter the field of Interior Design In college, I have utilized every opportunity to hone in on my creative skills through developing unique problem-solving capabilities, collaborating with educators and peers on team projects, and increasing my network within the educational and professional communities. These skills drive my pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Science with a concentration in Interior Design and a Master of Business Administration with a specialty in Real Estate.

Outside of the classroom, I have had many other opportunities to develop skills that have molded me into an emerging professional. First, I have worked to develop my own civic engagement program on campus. I partnered with the YWCA of Central Alabama’s “My Sister’s Closet” program to create a clothing drive After the attainment of a volunteer certification through the YWCA program, I worked to collect items from women across campus for the women of the YWCA. This program took over four months and required me to create and display marketing material, conduct six large-scale campaign presentations (250+ attendees at each one), and organize the logistical details regarding the collection and distribution of goods These requirements allowed me to strengthen my time management skills, forcing me to effectively plan and balance my time between this organization and my other responsibilities. Additionally, this past year I was a Student Design Assistant for the UA Furnishings and Design departments, a role that allows me to develop a variety of workplace skills such as document organization, use of technical design software, and client and stakeholder communication. I also work as a majorette and dance coach for various high school and middle schools in Alabama. Through these positions, I creatively choreograph and plan music while also overseeing a leadership team, coordinating between auxiliary teams and the full band, and communicating among a large team of directors. Finally, twirling as a Crimsonette with the Million Dollar Band has also allowed me to learn effective leadership skills through the leadership roles I take on both at practice and on campus This high-intensity team with 15+ hours of practice each week among 25 other women has taught me the value of practicing conflict resolution, patience, and collaboration with others despite any tension or tempers present in a scenario. I have completed many design courses at UA, my favorites being Nonresidential Design, Hospitality Design, and Design for Special Populations. Within these courses, I developed exceptional skills in hand and digital rendering and design development through programs such as Adobe Suite, Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Enscape. Specifically, the Hospitality design course allowed me to hone in on my understanding of codes, sustainability, and computer rendering. Through developing a wide variety of commercial spaces including a restaurant, retail store, lobby spaces, and private areas, I enhanced my concept and schematic development skills, organization habits, time management skills,

As Well As Gained A Broad Understanding Of The Demands Of The Commercial Design World

In my professional life, I ultimately hope to combine both my design skills and entrepreneurial mindset in the Interior design filed. I am excited at the prospect of working in a fast-paced work environment with constant action and room for growth. I hope to make my own mark in the design world implementing my own perspective of innovative, logical, and sustainable design thinking throughout the creation of interior spaces.

CWGILROY@CRIMSON.UA.EDU | LINKEDIN.COM/IN/CAROLINE-GILROY- | (205) 540-0930