My name is Lauren Lawton and I am a recent graduate from the University of Kansas, School of Architecture Design and Planning, with a degree in Interior Design. I have been working at Scott Rice for almost 6 months now, starting out as an Intern, and now recently transitioning into the position of Experience Coordinator. Working here has been such a great experience and I cannot wait to see what my future holds in this industry.
Since graduating, I have realized the importance of networking throughout the design community to make connections. That lesson has led me to the position that I am in today. During my collegiate studies, I was introduced to many people in the Kansas City design industry through different dealership tours, IIDA events and career fairs. It was at one of these events that I was introduced Scott Rice and the opportunities that they shared. From there, I utilized those resources that the design community offered, and met Kate Ward, a representative from Steelcase, who works in close partnership with the people at Scott Rice.
Kate was a great resource for me as both a student and designer because of her familiarity with the design community. She was able to direct me in the right direction and offer opinions on my projects and portfolio. In my final semester at KU, I reached out to her in search of some finish selections for my project, and she introduced me to the designers at Scott Rice. After being in contact with them and inquiring about internship opportunities, I was called in for an interview a few months later and was offered an internship position.
Working as an intern was a great transition into the position that I am in now. I am more familiar with not only products and materials, but how Scott Rice works as a business. I couldn’t have been asked to work here at a more exciting time. The showroom is in the middle of a renovation and watching the transformation has been an extremely beneficial experience. It’s a unique opportunity to be able to see a project from start to finish in your own office. I’ve enjoyed seeing how all of our companies work side by side to complete a project. Watching everything come together as a process day after day makes me even more excited to come to work to see what changes next!
Lauren Lawton
Experience Coordinator