Inaugural Recipients of Hazel Siegel Scholarship:
Three Students Awarded Trips to the SHIFT Conference in Honor of the Late Designer’s Devotion to Mentorship and Student Development
The International Interior Design Association’s New York Chapter (IIDA NY) is proud to announce the launch of its first annual Hazel Siegel Scholarship. This program serves to honor the legacy of Hazel Siegel, an acclaimed textile designer and chapter member who held numerous leadership positions and received numerous honors over 40 years of dedicated service to the chapter.
After Siegel’s passing in 2020, IIDA NY developed an initiative to honor her memory and all that she gave to the industry. Managed by the chapter’s Student Development Group, the scholarship aims to nurture the talent of student members, providing them with the financial support needed to participate in specific scholarly activities such as trade events, competitions, courses, and volunteer initiatives.
“When we initially conceived of an award to honor Hazel, we knew we wanted to recognize her design legacy—but it was really her mentorship through over 10 years of teaching at Pratt Institute that resonated with our chapter,” said Robin Reigi, VP of Student Development at IIDA NY and owner of Robin Reigi inc. “Carrying on her legacy of uplifting students is of the utmost importance to us.”
In its first year of determining recipients of the new award, IIDA NY’s Student Development Group chose three candidates who not only demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, but were also committed volunteers to the chapter through the Knowledge Forum Committee. This student-led committee holds networking events, portfolio reviews, and offers career guidance for peers.
The three recipients of this year’s award—Paridhi Chawla of the Pratt Institute, Robert Torres of the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), and Caleb Cambron of Cornell University—were awarded an all-expense paid trip to the IIDA Texas Oklahoma Chapter’s SHIFT Student Conference, accompanied by Student Ambassador Allison Brown, Interior Designer at Perkins and Will. In January 2022, the students spent nearly three days in downtown Dallas attending various programs, networking with professionals, and engaging in friendly competition.
“IIDA NY is beyond proud of our student members,” said Elsie St. Léger, IIDA, WELL AP, Chapter President of IIDA NY. “This year’s scholarship recipients prove that the design industry will continue to be in capable hands. We look forward to seeing even more innovation from these budding designers in the future.”
During the conference, students also took part in two competitions—the first of which was an invite-only Charrette. Paridhi Chawla participated on the first-place winning team, and Caleb Cambron on the third-place team. Cambron also joined in the Material Bank Palette competition, receiving honors for his palette for his mom’s future dream kitchen.
“When we sent our students to the conference, we had hardly considered the competitive aspect of the event,” said Elisabeth Mejia, VP of Student Development at IIDA NY and Interior Designer at HKS Architects. “But coming back with three wins was an added thrill to the entire experience for us all.”
Upon returning from the event, students presented to IIDA NY’s Board of Directors in their first in-person meeting since 2020 and announced the introduction of the Hazel Siegel Scholarship Alumni mentoring program. Previous winners will be paired with current-year winners who share similar interests to guide them through their school life, transition to working, and more generally, to aid in determining their career path.
IIDA NY’s Student Development team, along with the chapter’s student members, will expand the criteria for recipients to ensure maximum inclusivity and visibility for the students. The team will work to engage sponsors, seek additional scholarship opportunities, and integrate additional members as they engage outwardly with the larger design community. The work of the student development team is aimed at embodying Hazel’s memory and her commitment to mentoring those in school and new to the workforce.
“We want to bring student development to the forefront of people’s minds when they think of the IIDA NY chapter,” said Reigi. “Attracting new and young members has always been extremely important. Student members represent not only the future of our chapter, but also of our industry. Creating opportunities like these and asking recipients to engage with the broader chapter brings a whole new level of visibility to these important initiatives,” added Mejia.
About IIDA NY
The IIDA New York Chapter (IIDA NY) is a professional networking and educational association of more than 800 Members in five specialty Forums. IIDA NY provides its Members with the resources to reach expertise, knowledge and contacts. Networking events allow professionals and industry members to connect on more personal terms that encourage trust, collaboration and innovation. In 2021, IIDA NY formed Equity Council, an independent, open and inclusive body of participants who may or may not be members of IIDA. Their goal is to foster engagement and accountability toward meaningful change in the design industry, advocating for increased equity in the field through four key pillars: inclusion, diversity, education and communication. The Chapter is proud to have been recognized as IIDA Large Chapter of the Year in 2011, 2008, 2001 and 2000. For more information, visit: http://www.iidany.org/.