Shelly Gave Herself the Gift of a Creative Career

Shelly Sutherland, a Portland native, realized her passion for Interior Design during the redesign process of the kitchen in her beach house in Manzanita, Oregon. Once the remodel was complete, the compliments that she received about her design work made her feel invigorated and inspired her to consider Interior Design as a career path.

Before she came to Heritage, Shelly worked as a Medical Assistant in Women’s Healthcare and worked with a surgeon performing procedures in the office. She enjoyed her work until she realized that she needed to find a second career that would fulfill her need for creativity. It took her a couple of years to decide on Interior Design, but once she did, she never looked back. At this point in her life she wanted to give herself the gift of having a creative career. This journey started when she enrolled at Heritage.

“My experience at Heritage has gone beyond any dreams I had.  The curriculum is extremely thought out in order to support a job immediately following graduation. My instructor is confident, knowledgeable and has years of experience as an Interior Designer. I found Stephanie, the owner to be open to new ideas and very hands on. Our classmates have joined together many times to study, eat and laugh together, which has really added to my experience.  I have made life long friends.”

Shelly recently accepted an offer at a remodeling and new construction company, Mountainwood Homes. She will be collaborating with a team of Interior Designers, which is her dream! We can’t wait to watch her flourish in the design community.

How cute is this photo? Shelly’s son flew in to surprise her at graduation!