Abbey Kochert

Senior
Interior Design + Space Planning
Department of Art & Design
Minor in Organizational Leadership and Supervision

“I don't think people should be so afraid of failure. It provides us the opportunity to define who we are and who we want to be"

What is your dream job & what do you want to do after graduation?

Honestly, I would love to be a creative director for a humanitarian organization such as TOMS or the FEED Project. I just want to do good - combining design with philanthropy has recently become something of interest. I am also very excited about the potential opportunity to work for Anthropologie after graduation in hopes of becoming a visual display coordinator. I am a very hands-on person and having the opportunity to develop and impact the consumer experience is pretty darn cool.

What's your greatest strength? 

Hmm…I feel I am a very supportive person. I love helping others and I highly value taking any and all opportunities to remind others how much they mean to me.

If you could travel anywhere where would you go and why?

Wherever the good food is. I am such a foodie and wouldn’t mind traveling just for the food; it definitely defines the culture of a place. It is an experience everyone shares, let’s be honest, everyone loves food and that fascinates me.

What are you the most proud of?

I know this may sound unconventional but my independence and optimism. It has taken awhile to come to this point in my life and I could not be more proud of where I am now. 

If you could have personally witnessed something what would it have been?

Oh my gosh, I would have loved to have taken a cooking class with Julia Child at Le Cordon Bleu.

What would be the first thing you’d buy if you won the lottery?

I would go to the airport and just pick a flight. I love the spontaneity of things like that and if money wasn’t an issue I would just travel and experience the world.

What makes your resume stand out?

My experiences, without a doubt. I have had the amazing opportunity over the past couple of years to work for two Fortune 500 companies. During the second half of my junior year, I decided to accept an offer to participate in the Disney College Program and spent the next eight months working for the mouse. And then this past summer as a result of some alumni connections, I was able to work for Macy’s corporate office in Cincinnati as part of their SPACE Design Team.