It was summer 2023, and Julia Kerr ’25 was sitting in an Uber. She had just left dinner and was heading to the restaurant where she worked to pick up her tips. A typical evening turned into a momentous occasion when Kerr found out she was the recipient of Moore’s prestigious Visionary Honors scholarship.
“I started crying. When I got to the restaurant, I was telling all my coworkers, ‘I got a $25,000 scholarship!’ It was super exciting,” she said.
After eight years in the restaurant industry, Kerr went back to college in 2019 to pursue a career that ignited her passions. While researching paths that could be a fit for her skills, she talked with her best friend’s mother, a Moore alumna who encouraged her to try interior design.
Kerr started taking interior design classes at the Community College of Philadelphia, where she earned her associate’s degree in 2023. By the time she needed to transfer, she said Moore was the clear choice, thanks to her connection to the College, its location and more.
“The city campus really drew me here. The views are great,” she said. “I also felt welcomed here when I came to visit for the first time, and I got a better scholarship [than other schools]. All of those things together helped me make the decision.”
Although she was initially intimidated by the “impressive” level of design work she saw coming out of Moore’s Interior Design department, she quickly caught up with the curriculum, thanks to help from her professors and staff, which made her feel seen and heard.
“Moore expects a lot from you, but it also pushes you to be the best designer you can be while also thinking about the future, which is really important,” she said. “I’ve taken advantage of a lot of the support services here, and that’s been really helpful in my transition because I feel that it was more personalized. I’ve gone to the Locks Career Center a million times, and they’ve helped me so much and made me feel more confident.”
Despite an age difference, Kerr has been able to form friendships with her peers as they spend time together in the classroom. When it comes to making new friends, she takes a direct approach.
“I'm lucky enough to get along really well with everyone in my program,” she said. “I've just started saying ‘hi’ to more people, which is definitely a suggestion I have for new students, even if you're shy. If you start seeing the same people around, strike up a conversation.”
Kerr has also tapped into the many resources available for nontraditional students, transfer students and off-campus students at Moore. She especially appreciates the Commuter Lounge, late-night studio hours, access to state-of-the-art equipment and the College’s mental health and wellness services.
Still, one of Kerr’s favorite things about Moore’s Interior Design program are the future possibilities. Faculty like Associate Professor Fran Martini showed Kerr all the different things she could do with an Interior Design degree from Moore.
“I learned when I came here that there are so many jobs you can do within interior design, which is exciting, because I might change my mind about how I want to use my skills someday,” she said. “It’s important to know that even some of our professors have changed their careers. It’s exciting to see different examples of people who have succeeded at different stages in their lives.”
Kerr thinks students of any age thinking about transferring to Moore should know that they’ll find support at the College.
“I’ve definitely had times throughout my life when I was scared to ask for help. I told myself not to [be afraid] because it wasn’t serving me, and then everything opened up for me,” she said. “Ask for help if you need it—you have a community here that wants you to succeed.”
Interested in transferring to Moore? Schedule an appointment to talk to Transfer Admissions Counselor Sierra Conniff or contact Moore’s Admissions Office at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015.
Photo courtesy of Julia Kerr '25.
