North American design programs were once again honored by NKBA | KBIS.
By Nicholas Tamarin
NKBA | KBIS is proud to announce the recipients of the Excellence in Education Award for 2025, recognizing outstanding institutions that have demonstrated exceptional student achievement in the 2023-2024 Student Design Competition (SDC) sponsored by Fisher & Paykel. This prestigious award celebrates schools with a strong commitment to design education and builds upon the success of previous years.
The Excellence in Education Award is granted based on SDC submissions scoring 80 points or better, with a requirement of a minimum of three entries from three separate students. Out of hundreds of annual submissions to the SDC, participants from seven institutions distinguished themselves this year. These winners will be honored with a personalized letter, a certificate, and a digital logo for promotional use.
Award Recipients:
Lakeland College, Vermillion, Alberta: Program Head Rochelle Horne, CKBD, received an honorable mention for NKBA Educator of the Year 2024, and two Lakeland College students placed in the 2023-2024 SDC. “Lakeland College has maintained a longstanding and meaningful relationship with the NKBA,” Horne says. “This reflects the commitment and excellence of our students, fostered within our close-knit studio environment.”
Century College, White Bear Lake, Minnesota: Kerry Lombard, a student from Century College, won first place in the kitchen category of the SDC. The Kitchen and Bath Design Program at Century College integrates the NKBA Student Design Competition into the final project of the Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design class, and students have participated for over 20 years. “Our Kitchen and Bath Design Program is set up so our classes build upon skills learned in previous classes” Kitchen and Bath Design Program Director Margaret Krohn, CKBD says. “When students get to our Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design course, they are prepared to work on the comprehensive Student Design Competition as part of the Final Project in our Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design class. Our KBD students have worked on the NKBA Student Design competition for over 20 years and it is their choice if they would like to submit their project. Our KBD students work more independently on this project, and I have a basic timeline to help keep them track for time management. This is what they will be doing out in the field, so we help prepare our KBD Students in all of our classes prior to working on the Student Design Competition.”
Cañada College, Redwood City, California: Cañada College’s Interior Design program, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, evolved from Home Economics courses in 1973 to a premier community college program under Dr. Genevieve Cory. The program has trained numerous successful interior designers for over 50 years, providing pathways to careers and further education.
Bow Valley College, Calgary, Alberta: The largest community college in Alberta, Bow Valley College—situated in downtown Calgary, a short drive from the Rocky Mountains—is a longtime member of NKBA’s Affiliated Schools Program. The NKBA Student Design Competition serves as the course evaluation for the Kitchen and Bath Design Program’s capstone course since the program began in 2017.
Georgian College, Ontario: Spread across seven campuses, Georgian College students consistently win national and provincial kitchen and bath awards. Georgian has the highest graduate employment rate among all colleges in Ontario. The college is an NKBA-affiliated school with NKBA-based courses, preparing students to master the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines and prepare for NKBA Certification.
Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California: Cassandra Jerrems, a student from Saddleback College, took home second place for her kitchen design. Saddleback College integrates the NKBA Student Design Competition into two courses: Kitchen Design and Bath Design. Interior Design Department Chair Farida Gabdrakhmanova says, “These classes are typically offered in alternating semesters (and not always every academic year). In both, the NKBA contest project—either kitchen or bath—is used as the student’s final semester project. We introduce NKBA planning guidelines and the design process application early in the semester, and students apply them in another project before starting on the contest. This helps them become familiar with expectations. The projects (including the NKBA competition) are divided into phases—Programming, Schematic Design, and Design Development I & II— with feedback provided at each stage to support student progress and ensure alignment with NKBA standards.”
University of Georgia, Athens: Part of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Furnishings and Interiors program is focused on residential design and is structured to provide students with the skills needed to work in a professional design firm. The UGA NKBA Student Chapter organization meets six times a semester to learn more about the kitchen and bath industry. There are seven studio courses to enhance students’ skill sets and knowledge, and a dedicated computer lab is available for technical courses where students learn how to use AutoCAD, REVIT, Design 2020, and other programs.The 2025-2026 Student Design Competition will be announced later this summer, please check the competition webpage for more information.
