NKBA and GE Award $25,000-Plus in Scholarships

More than 450 students from 28 colleges were tasked with planning a safe, functional kitchen within a three-hour period.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design,

First place winner Pamela Berry

Too many cooks can spoil the broth, but there are never too many great ideas for the kitchen. Just ask the National Kitchen & Bath Association and General Electric, which drew 450 students and awarded more than $25,000 in scholarships during its annual Charette design competition.

Pamela Berry, a student at Canada's Lakeland College, took home top honors, along with the $5,000 first-prize scholarship. Four runners-up snagged $11,500 in tuition assistance, while five honorable mentions each bagged $1,000.


Second place winner Matthew Lawrence

Hailing from 28 colleges, the participants each demonstrated their skills in planning a safe, functional kitchen within a three-hour period. The budding designers produced floor plans with specifications, a design statement, and a perspective or elevation rendering of a kitchen featuring GE appliances.

The students were designing for a hypothetical couple who cook together, require seating for six, and enjoy watching television in their 22-by-13-foot kitchens. All designs had to adhere to NKBA planning guidelines and NKBA graphic and presentation standards.


Fourth place winner Whitney Jamison

"We are always amazed by the winning entries," says Brandon Hochhalter, market development manager for GE. "They're a testament to the skill and preparedness of students studying at NKBA-accredited colleges across North America to work in the kitchen industry. Sherylin Doyle, manager of academic relations for the NKBA, adds, "The challenge builds students' confidence and their skills for success, which ensures that the kitchen and bath industry will continue to offer a number of very qualified professionals in the future."