CHAIR TALK: UNT ID ALUMNI
- untidsa
- Feb 22
- 1 min read
This past Tuesday, we had an insightful chair talk with UNT interior design alumni Reagan Hamilton, Drew Collins, and Sarah Love, who shared honest reflections on transitioning from school into the professional world.
Reagan spoke about how her internship at Stan tech became a foundational experience, not because she knew everything going on, but because it taught her how an office actually functions, learning workflow,s navigating collaboration and building connections, open doors that extended far beyond the internship itself, the group discussed how working at a smaller firm early on can be incredibly valuable as juggling. Multiple roles help build adaptability before moving into larger firms with more specialized positions and abundant resources.
They also spoke honestly about how daily life changes after graduation, moving from late nights and unpredictable schedules to a structured work week, which was seen as a positive shift among early-career professionals. They still faced overtime while adjusting. Setting overtime boundaries and communicating workload become key to maintaining balance, something that’s often harder to manage in school. The alumni encouraged us to embrace the learning curve of entering the profession, to ask for help when needed, and to remember that growth comes with time. Their advice was simple: Don’t carry school-level pressure into your career. Focus on adapting, building relationships, and trusting that the transition into practice is a process.
“Cherish the friendships you’ve made and hang on to them. Don’t be so eager to get onto the next thing and get so lost in the stress that you neglect relationships.” - Sarah Love
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