SU PPORTIN G PRATT
WHY I GIVE: Laylah Mohammed L
Laylah Mohammed (B.F.A. Interior Design ’09), photographed in the WolfHome New York City store near her office.
aylah Mohammed (B.F.A. Interior Design ’09) places a high value on education and on the role that her Pratt Institute experience played in preparing her for success after graduation. Mohammed credits her Pratt professors with providing her with an education that went well beyond the classroom and helped her obtain her current position as a junior architectural designer at West Chin Architect, PLLC in New York City. Her desire to help ensure that future students can benefit from all that Pratt has to offer inspired Mohammed to make a President’s Circle–level gift to The Fund for Pratt. Mohammed first learned the importance of being a part of a strong alumni network at Phillips Andover Academy in Massachusetts, where she attended boarding school before coming to Pratt. Born in England and raised in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and the Netherlands, she felt that to pursue architecture and design seriously, she had to be in New York City. Mohammed chose Pratt for the interior design program’s emphasis on the architectural elements of design, the opportunity to have a true campus experience in the city, and the Institute’s spirit of openness and exploration. “Having lived in so many different places and been exposed to various cultures over the course of my life, it was important to me to be in an environment that embraced diversity,” she says. “Of course, it didn't hurt that the interior design program was ranked number one in the country.” Mohammed also serves as a recent graduate trustee on the Pratt Institute Board of Trustees. As a member of its Development Committee, she understands the importance of leading by example, particularly when it comes to providing for Pratt’s future. “The Institute’s greatest asset is its wealth of professors,” she says. “I decided to give back so that Pratt can continue to attract and retain stellar faculty members and offer a high-caliber education for generations to come.”
photoS: diana pau
Laylah Mohammed is just one of the many dedicated members of the Pratt community whose generosity and involvement have helped make Pratt one of the leading institutions of its kind. Visit www.pratt.edu/donor_profiles to read about these other loyal alumni and friends:
Judith Kingsley chose to memorialize her two daughters through a planned gift to Pratt.
Norman Rosenfeld (B. Arch. ’56) is helping architecture students gain valuable international experience through the Lee and Norman Rosenfeld Award.
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