Four students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney have been named finalists for the national GE Kitchen Design Charette Competition.
The UNK students who will be participating in the national contest are Stephanie Liss of Columbus , Stefanie Vipond of Grand Island, Amanda Hanquist of Grand Island and Alison Copple of Kearney.
In all, 39 UNK students competed for the opportunity to enter the national contest. Each student was given three hours to create a concept for a kitchen tailored for an older couple who have a grandchild who visits frequently.
According to Dr. Phyllis Markussen, chair of the UNK family studies and interior design department, the students were judged on how well they followed the guidelines of the project, their graphical representation of the concept, presentational skill, innovation, and how well they solved the design problem.
Each of the UNK finalists received a $100 scholarship from GE, and the winning designs they created in the local competition will be shipped to designers to be judged for the national competition.
Winners on the national level will receive scholarships in the amount of $5,000 for first prize, $4,000 for second place, $3,000 for third place, $2,500 for fourth place, $2,000 for fifth place and $1,000 for honorable mention.
The scholarship winners of the nationwide contest will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Las Vegas in May.
Last year, Hanquist entered the national competition and received a $1,000 honorable mention scholarship.
