Kaitlyn Czerow

“I am currently collaborating on a few workplace designs for public agency buildings,” said Kaitlyn Czerow ’24, a project designer at Envision Architects with a BFA in Interior and Spatial Design from Russell Sage College. “Another very interesting project that I am working on involves the interior design for a historic local building.”

These projects will help the agencies adjust their spaces to the evolving workplace; help the building owner balance design updates with historical elements; and help Czerow establish herself in a career she has dreamed of since she was a kid, when she would sketch and experiment with space planning for fun. 

“I was always captivated by the details of interior  design — elements that seemed overlooked by others but fascinated me,” she said. “This early  enthusiasm for how thoughtful design can transform spaces solidified my desire to pursue a career in this field.”

Czerow joined Envision full time in June, after she interned at the Albany, New York, firm during the spring semester. 

Her responsibilities span the technical and creative aspects of design, from optimizing space layout and functionality while adhering to codes and regulations to selecting furniture, fixtures, equipment, and interior finishes that meet project goals and client preferences.  

Czerow learned about opportunities at Envision at an interior and spatial design-focused internship fair at Opalka Gallery on RSC’s Albany campus. She said classmates and alumni provided internship advice based on their experiences, and the Career and Self-Discovery Center and professors helped her refine her resume. 

Once she landed the internship, she realized how well prepared she was, thanks to Russell Sage’s Interior + Spatial Design curriculum.

Drafting classes stand out for her. “Learning hands-on techniques in those classes and then applying them to digital tools is important to understand the background of design,” she said. “It was great to see how traditional skills could be translated in new ways.” 

And speaking of digital tools, her Russell Sage coursework helped her build advanced skills in Revit modeling software, which allowed her to contribute significantly to project design and documentation, even as an intern.  

Czerow added that RSC-specific financial aid — a Student Sage scholarship that lowered her tuition and a Scrimshaw-Stern student travel award that allowed her to attend a home furnishings industry trade show with classmates — were also important to her college education and career preparation. 

With her BFA degree complete and an exciting new job underway, Czerow’s next goal is to achieve National Council for Interior Design professional certification and the WELL AP credential (which denotes expertise in improving human health through built environments.)

She’ll begin studying for the required exams this fall. In industry terms, she’s building on a strong foundation.

“Sage equipped me to handle diverse challenges in my professional practice with confidence and expertise,” she said.