Scholarships Rebecca Kundysek North Central Chapter While majoring in interior design at the University of Cincinnati, Rebecca Kundysek received an NEWH Chapter Scholarship from the Chicago Chapter both her junior and senior years. Applying for the scholarships seemed daunting at the time but was well worth all the benefits that came from it-and not just fi nancially. After being introduced to NEWH, Kundysek quickly realized the advantages of student membership. Kundysek started her hospitality design career in Dallas as a co-op student working for Wilson Associates. There she met and worked with several NEWH members who have remained her mentors. After graduating, she moved to Fort Myers, Florida in a position as store designer for Chico's FAS. There she focused on cultivating her design and construction expertise and mentoring co-op students while staying connected to the NEWH community. After several years developing a new brand concept for Soma Intimates, Kundysek sought a position closer to the hospitality industry. She moved to Minneapolis and quickly became actively involved with the North Central chapter. By attending NEWH events, she expanded her network and landed a design position at Studio Hive working on projects ranging from entertainment to corporate offices. Since her move to Minneapolis, Kundysek has served as scholarship director on the North Central board. Besides scholarship, mentorship and moral support is invaluable, and she is happy to be able to provide these to students as they grow and develop into the designers of tomorrow. Kundysek currently serves as vice president of administration and is preparing to step into the president position in 2016. She also hopes to continue growing her role in NEWH by serving as scholarship director on the international board. Fall 2013 17http://www.ilexlight.com http://www.ilexlight.com