Bachelor of Science, Interior Design, NAU
Master of Science in Design, Interior Design - Theory, Methodology, and Criticism, ASU
SCC provides the best interior design education available.
Graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree from the SCC Interior Design program in 2003 and then took advantage of a new program offered on the SCC campus - a 2+2 articulation agreement between SCC and Northern Arizona University. This program allowed her to apply her two-year degree from SCC to a four-year NAU Bachelor’s degree program. Due to Rachel’s deep respect and appreciation for the education she received at Scottsdale Community College, she decided not to end her educational journey there.
After graduating from NAU, she went on to complete her master’s degree in Interior Design at Arizona State University, in the hopes of teaching as an adjunct for SCC’s Interior Design program. Rachel also began working on her own interior design projects. Through her graduate research and professional practice, Rachel specialized in the renovation of mid-century and historical buildings in Arizona; becoming a leading member of the local historic preservation and modern design community.
In 2006, Rachel began teaching building systems and drawing and rendering for SCC. She eventually taught design history and space planning as well. Moving to Europe in 2009, Rachel created the program’s first online class, teaching historical and modern architecture and furniture from Greece, until moving back to the United States in 2011. She continued teaching online for SCC, and also served as adjunct faculty for ASU and the Art Institutes. In 2016, she finally secured the position she believes she was born to fill, residential faculty for the SCC Interior Design program. She teaches alongside some of her own former professors and occasionally practices design professionally with some of her former students. Rachel serves as the faculty advisor for the student American Society of Interior Designers chapter at SCC, and in 2020 became the Program Director for the SCC Interior Design program.
Since Rachel joined the program, she has worked with other full-time faculty members to increase their online offerings. She believes that SCC provides the best interior design education available. She encourages anyone passionate about a career in the industry, no matter the age, to try the online Introduction to Interior Design course and see if they might want to turn their passion into a rewarding career, as she has done herself.