Student Ambassador Spotlight: Bella McDermott
Meet Bella McDermott, an Industrial Design major from Richland, WA. Bella came to WWU for the great Industrial Design program and WWU also happens to be close to home for her and has many other benefits. Bella aspires to be professional industrial designer at a consultancy. For her, it doesn’t matter what she is designing as long as she gets to be creative in her work and experience the design/engineering process to its fullest extent. This means getting to work in interdisciplinary settings where she gets to both create designs and work with engineering/manufacturing teams to get products on the market.
Why did you choose Western?
I chose Western is because it has one of the best (and one of the few) industrial design programs in the pacific northwest. In my case, it is also an in-state school that is close to home with a gorgeous campus and a wonderful community of students!
What do you like about Western?
I love the trees and the bay (of course) but I also love how many opportunities there are for research, exploration and fun. I am in a small program so everyone knows everyone and there are always cool projects going on. As students, we get access to amazing resources both on and off campus (everything from plasma cutters to 3D printers to cheap ski boot rentals).
How is your student ambassador experience? What are your duties?
As a student ambassador, I get to work events with alumni and donors. This means helping organize, set up, and speak at large scale activities. We work basketball games, scholarship dinners, alumni reunions, and even student-events like commencement! My job is to be an ambassador for Western to alumni , donors, and the community by sharing my experiences as a student or simply by being a friendly face to event attendees. I have had a wonderful time with this job and I love getting to meet and work with some of the very influential people within the university.
Which professors do you work with? What is your favorite class? If not in a declared major yet, what is your area of interest?
My main professors are Jason Morris and Justin Lund. Many of our classes involve quarter-long design projects that allow you to truly embrace the design process (research, sketching, CAD, presentation, iteration). My favorite class so far is ID 340 where we get to use a program called GravitySketch to create 3D designs (like helmets and cars) in a collaborative virtual reality space!
Are you the beneficiary of philanthropy at Western (scholarship, grant, travel experience, etc)? If so, how has that made a difference for you? If not, are any of your friends or classmates, and if so, what impact has it had on them?
Myself and many of my classmates have been awarded scholarships through the WWU Engineering and Design Department. For me, these awards take weight off my shoulders from quarter to quarter and allowing me to put more of my focus into my academics. For some of my classmates, scholarships and grants are the reason they are able to go to college in the first place and the reason they are able to do the amazing projects they do.
What would you like to say to a someone who has made a gift to support Western students and programs?
The reason I love the Industrial design program at Western is because of the community. That community would not be possible without donors like you. When you make gifts to the university you become part an incredible network of support that allows students like me to design award winning projects, attend national conferences, and continue developing the skills we need to make an impact after we graduate. Your contribution, no matter how small truly makes a difference in the lives of students university wide- thank you!
What do you do when you aren’t in class?
In my free time, I love to lift weights, longboard, paint, hike, or just go for a walk by the bay. I also enjoy going to shows and concerts around town on the weekends!
Where is your happy place either on campus or in Bellingham?
It sounds silly, by my happy place is in the industrial design studio. It is where I spend the majority of my time and allows me to work around a group of incredibly talented students. We get access to a great lab space, and it is fun to make little trinkets and have fun with the tools we are given.
What are your professional dreams and goals? Where could you see yourself in five years?
In five years hope to be working as a professional industrial designer at a consultancy. For me, it doesn’t matter what I am designing as long as I get to be creative in my work and experience the design/engineering process to its fullest extent. This means getting to work in interdisciplinary settings where I get to both create designs and work with engineering/manufacturing teams to get products on the market.