Becoming an ASID Student member is a great step in starting your career, but what comes after you join matters most. Get involved and with each year that passes, watch how you and your peers are elevated as ASID leaders. But don’t take my word for it, here is a perfect example from Monique Chicvak, Student ASID, SRB ASID Florida West Coast.

1. Member Involvement: I have been involved in ASID since my freshman year in college when I joined the organization as president-elect for my school’s local chapter. I became involved with the organization due to its many opportunities to network with professional and student designers both locally and nationally. It was during my first year in school that I shadowed our previous president in planning student events and attending local social events in our community. Being a member of ASID and networking has proven to be extremely valuable and has helped me establish contacts in the interior design field. I have had the chance to communicate my skills to other designers and have had potential business opportunities present themselves to me.
2. President Involvement: Following my term as president-elect, I became president during my sophomore year. Throughout my tenure as president, I have had the opportunity to schedule events for my local student chapter and to recruit new ASID student members. While fulfilling my duties as president, I have found it crucial to master multitasking. Since being a leader requires you to execute multiple assignments, having the ability to balance some, if not all of them at once has proven to be essential in order to fulfill my role as president.
3. SRB Involvement: I became the Student Representative to the Board (SRB) for the ASID Florida West Chapter (FWC) this October as a result of attending local board meetings. It was through these meetings that I learned about the opportunity to act as a liaison between my fellow ASID student members and the professional community. This interested me greatly because it presented an opportunity for me to enhance my networking skills, have my voice heard as a student president of ASID, and further develop my team working skills. I have connected with SRBs from other states and have corresponded about local chapter events and coordinating event opportunities between Florida chapters. I’m currently planning a local student event for my college in coordination with FWC. By being involved with FWC, I have had the opportunity to learn how to better coordinate with students and professionals in planning events, thus fortifying my ability to work in groups and teams.

I have found ASID to be very beneficial in better understanding the purpose of the interior design profession and in creating contacts in the field. Without being a student member, I would not have had the ability to grow my leadership skills and developing as a person and designer.

About the Author

Monique Chicvak is currently a junior interior design student at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. She plans to continue her leadership and involvement in ASID throughout her years as a student.