Grace Kujawski found the perfect place to begin her college journey鈥攔ight here in northern Michigan. A Boyne City High School graduate, she chose 麻豆传媒 Michigan College to continue her studies. 

鈥淚 was thinking about Ferris, but I just wasn鈥檛 quite ready to go,鈥� Grace said. 鈥淣orth Central was close, and with the scholarships, it was the best opportunity for me.鈥� 

At 麻豆传媒, Grace is earning her associate degree in General Studies along with a certificate in Computer-Aided Design (CAD)鈥攕kills she鈥檚 already used in the real world. 

With help from faculty member Jeff Montgomery, she landed a job at a local design firm where she creates 3D plans for custom cabinetry and furniture, turning clients鈥� ideas into detailed digital models. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting to see something I worked on become real,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love designing things that will become part of someone鈥檚 home.鈥� Grace didn鈥檛 always know she wanted to go into design. But during the COVID-19 shutdown, she and her family built a backyard chicken coop together and she loved designing it. That small project sparked a big idea. 

鈥淚t was so cool to see my design come to life. That鈥檚 when I realized I wanted to do more of this.鈥�

Thanks to one of her scholarships, Grace was also able to purchase a new laptop powerful enough to run CAD software鈥攕omething her old computer couldn鈥檛 handle.

鈥淏efore this, I didn鈥檛 realize how much of a difference donors could make,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut now that I鈥檝e experienced it firsthand, I know how helpful it really is.鈥� 

Grace is still exploring what鈥檚 next鈥攑ossibly studying architecture鈥攂ut she knows she wants to come back to northern Michigan and use her skills to help solve a local challenge: the housing shortage. 

鈥淗ome has always been important to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t would be really meaningful to help people build their dream homes right here in our community.鈥� 

Grace is designing more than cabinetry or floor plans鈥攕he鈥檚 designing a future that鈥檚 grounded in purpose, possibility, and place.