Do Good and Give Back, the Marywood Way
Within the first few minutes of listening to Stephanie Golden ’22 speak about her experiences studying Interior Architecture at Marywood, it becomes abundantly clear that she is truly meant to be here. She became enamored with Interior Architecture from the moment she learned about it during her initial tour of campus, went on to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Interior Architecture in 2022, and is now halfway through earning a Master’s of Interior Architecture. Despite what a natural fit Golden is for the programs, she grew up quite uncertain about her future path.
Golden was motivated to find a career that would enable her to combine her passion for fine arts, math, and technology. While it might seem that finding an avenue that encompasses such distinct qualities would be a challenge, Golden was fueled by one overarching need that would unite her interests: the desire to help others. Fittingly, to Golden, Interior Architecture is all about understanding how to design for people. From participating in design festivals, community projects, and watching a studio project obtain funding for construction, Golden’s work focuses on sustainability, repurposing spaces, and honoring the memory, identity, and heritage of a place.
To respect the history of a place while understanding what needs it must meet in the future requires a sense of empathy, connection, and vision. Golden has never hesitated to dive headfirst into every project and experience she’s involved in and form a deep attachment to her work. If anything, she is so ambitious that she struggles to say no to new opportunities. A few of her many accomplishments include participating in the Architecture in Schools Program, tutoring and instructing first-year students, and playing a major role in preserving the city of Archbald’s coal mining history.
Golden’s creativity, drive, and passion brought her to Marywood’s campus, and the people helped her stay. She has benefitted from a blend of academic, professional, and financial support that is uniquely Marywood. As the keynote student speaker at Marywood’s 2023 Scholarship Luncheon, Golden addressed the crowd of benefactors, student recipients, and community, remarking, “In my experience, every individual that is involved with the family that is Marywood is enthusiastically committed to bettering the world around them.”
A graduate scholarship recipient herself, Golden personally understands how having such an enthusiastic and generous support system enables every one of us to get up every day and choose to do acts of good for the community. After calling Marywood home for the past five years, Golden feels a sense of kinship with the university community that will influence the rest of her life. “You are the ones that are enabling positive change,” she announced to the benefactors, faculty, staff, and students at the Scholarship Luncheon, “the ones who believe in the brightest future for individuals like me, who through Marywood work diligently to do good and give back.”