Then & Now: Kristin Halls '13 & Amanda Mersereau

(The Then & Now feature aims to highlight one alum and one current student from the same team and major who have shined athletically and academically as a student-athlete at Endicott)

BEVERLY, Mass. – Members of the Endicott College club athletic teams are committed to their academic and professional success but have chosen to either explore new interests or continue on with life-long passions through athletics. These opportunities are part of what defines the Endicott experience and what makes Endicott truly a special place.

Endicott senior Amanda Mersereau (Manchester, N.H.) and Kristin Halls '13 (Westfield, Mass.) only spent one year together on the Endicott club dance team, but through similar professional goals and career aspirations both student-athletes have made the most of their four years as Gulls.

As Interior Design majors, Amanda and Kirstin have been able to explore and build practical and theoretical skills through the Endicott Internship Program as well as the courses featured in the many areas of interior design including residential, commercial and institutional design studios; history of art, architecture sustainable design, universal design, and business principles.

ECGulls.com recently caught up with both of them to talk more about their careers, why they chose to attend Endicott, and also ask them how the Endicott experience has helped shape them personally and professionally.

"The Endicott internship program was a huge part of my decision to attend Endicott," stated Halls. "But the fact that I could be a part dance team and the location were important factors to me as well." 

Mersereau backed up Halls' claims, especially in regards to the location and also being a part of the dance team. 

"Location was a huge factor in my decision to come to Endicott. It is only an hour away from my home, located outside of Boston, and the beaches are a huge plus!" said Mersereau. "Another key factor was the dance program here. I wanted to get a great interior design education while still having various opportunities to dance on campus." 

Halls, who was a four-year member of the Endicott dance team, has paved the way for someone like Mersereau as an Interior Design major within the dance program. Halls currently works as a commercial interior designer at Phase Zero Design Inc. 

"I actually got the job I have today because of a referral from another Endicott Interior Design major that had interned with them," said Halls. "The network and career services that Endicott provided were extremely beneficial throughout my job search process." 

Halls' career path got its start through her internship work while at the College. She attributes all her current success to having the ability to learn how her career works through experiential learning.

Mersereau has followed the same formula for professional success through aligning herself with internships that will not only allow her to graduate with a strong resume, but also provide valuable practical experience within the Interior Design field. 

"My first two internships were both residential design firms; All in the Details, and Kristina Crestin Design, and Kristina ended up hiring me the summer after my internship," said Mersereau. "My semester-long internship was at Bergmeyer Associates, where I worked on retail and restaurant projects, which I discovered is a field I am really interested in."

"I learned how to be a part of a team which really benefits me in my company which is divided into project teams," said Halls "You're not always going to get along with everyone but you learn how to manage!" 

Much like Halls, Mersereau has applied the skills she is developing as a student-athlete to her academic and professional success. 

"Athletics may seem like a big undertaking at first, and it is, but learning time management skills is so important because being a student-athlete is worth it," said Mersereau "Coming to college I was worried about how to balance school work with dance team responsibilities. Over these past four years I've learned how to manage my time efficiently and balance athletic responsibilities with school responsibilities." 

This year, Mersereau has balanced her work interning at Bergmeyer Associates with classes, practices, competitions and team events. 

"A typical day is very hectic. I take interior design classes all day long, then dance classes and dance team practices at night," said Mersereau. "I squeeze school work in at night and on the weekends." 

INTERIOR DESIGN MAJOR AT ENDICOTT 

The Department's goal is to provide students with the problem-solving abilities and creative design skills to achieve success as the next generation of interior design professionals. An emphasis is placed throughout the curriculum on Sustainable Design and the built environment. The baccalaureate degree program is accredited by Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

The Department employs an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving in the interior architectural environment. The curriculum is comprehensive and includes residential, commercial and institutional design studios; history of art, architecture, and interior design; a design sequence that incorporates spatial experience, human factors, Sustainable Design, Universal Design, and business principles; with an integral internship component and service learning opportunities. The Internship Program in Interior Design prepares students to meet the challenges of an emerging field and see firsthand the integrated components that form the interior environment.

Students in the Department can join the ECID (Endicott College Interior Designers), an active student organization that is affiliated with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and International Interior Design Association (IIDA), allowing a direct connection to the professional design community.

Graduates of the baccalaureate program are qualified to join the Interior Design profession and undertake diverse project types. Upon completion of a two-year employment, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Exam to achieve Interior Design Certification recognized in 28 U.S. states.  

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.