Meet Kim Feldman: 2025 Scholarship Graduate.

Making the leap into a new career takes courage. For Kim Feldman, a Shillington Half Scholarship played a key role in helping her do just that. After several years working in IT consulting and project management, Kim decided to fully shift her focus to design. With the support of the scholarship, she immersed herself in Shillington’s full-time course, developed a strong creative process and built a portfolio that showcases not just her design skills, but her unique perspective and storytelling.

Now a Shillington graduate, Kim is beginning an internship at an agency she has long admired. In this interview, she reflects on her journey from IT to design, shares the impact of the scholarship and offers advice for future applicants who are considering making the leap themselves.

It's great to have you back with us Kim! It's an exciting time of the year, and the launch of Shillington's Half Scholarship program. So it's going to be great to hear about how you got into Shillington, and especially how the Half Scholarship has impacted your new career!

First up, what were you doing before studying at Shillington?

Before Shillington, I spent several years working in IT consulting and project management, eventually moving into a design project management role. It was in that role that I decided I wanted to take the plunge and fully shift my career to focus on design.

What motivated you to apply for the half-scholarship program?

Leaving my full time job to study at Shillington was a significant leap for me, so the scholarship felt like a great opportunity to support that transition. I wasn't sure if I was qualified enough for the scholarship, but I decided to apply anyway and let the scholarship committee make that decision, before I excluded myself from even trying.

Did you have any design experience before applying, or were you starting fresh?

I was interested in design long before pursuing Shillington, so I had previously taught myself some of the design tools, including Procreate, Illustrator, and After Effects. I had used these skills to do a few one-off freelance projects, but I didn't have formal design experience.

How did you approach your creative response for the scholarship?

It was really important to me to showcase the impact the scholarship would have, so I wanted to use some kind of future-looking device as the basis for the story (such as a crystal ball or tarot cards). However, I struggled to develop a narrative using those devices, so instead I flipped the script, focusing on a backwards looking narrative. I landed on doing a retrospective from a point in the future based on Spotify Wrapped, but instead focused on design data from my time at Shillington (aka Shillington Wrapped). This allowed me to look back on what I might achieve at Shillington and how it might impact me in the long-term.

What was your reaction when you found out you'd been awarded the Half Scholarship?

I was absolutely overjoyed and incredibly grateful when I found out I won. I put a lot of time and effort into my application and receiving the scholarship felt a bit like a sign from the universe that I had made the right decision and was on the right path.

What did receiving the half-scholarship mean to you personally and professionally?

To me it felt like it was a small sign that I had made the right choice to pursue this path, and helped me feel more confident that I had skills in design and storytelling that would serve me in this career choice.

How would you describe your experience studying at Shillington?

The Shillington experience was amazing! It was very fast-paced, and I had lots of late nights during the program, but I was glad that there was so much content and work for me to sink my teeth into. The instructors were fantastic and the course covered what I needed to build a successful starter portfolio.

What were the most valuable skills you learned during the course?

Learning how to develop a concept and practicing the process of getting from concept to final design were the most valuable skills I learned at Shillington. I think in the current environment there are a lot of ways to learn the key design softwares, but what really sets Shillington apart and makes it unique is learning how to come up with a strong creative concept and iterate in various stages to get to the final design. In interviews after Shillington, multiple people commented that they liked seeing how clear the process was in my projects, so it's a huge benefit to be able to showcase that thinking.

How did the community of teachers and classmates impact your learning journey?

Getting feedback from teachers and peers was critical to developing work I was proud of. Their ability to quickly answer questions when I was stuck as well as provide feedback and ideas that elevated my work was extremely helpful.

Kim's Packaging project at Shillington, Gnawty by Nature.

Where are you now in your career, and how has the scholarship helped you get there?

I am just about to start an internship at an agency I've admired for a very long time, so I'm really excited! I used my scholarship application video as a project in my portfolio, and it sparked great conversations in my interviews. It was nice to have something unique to share besides student work, which I think is why people often asked about that project.

Has the scholarship opened opportunities you might not have had otherwise?

Yes - most immediately, it gave me the chance to showcase a project in my portfolio that wouldn't have existed otherwise. I'm hopeful that the confidence and visibility from winning the scholarship will continue to create opportunities as I move forward.

What would you say to someone considering applying for the half-scholarship?

Just apply! I was worried that I might not be sufficiently qualified for the scholarship, but that decision is ultimately up to the scholarship committee to determine, so don't rule yourself out before you try. Additionally, just going through the process of applying for the scholarship helped me shape my story and justify to myself that making this career change was right for me. Having this clarity around my story was helpful for me personally, but also useful in interviews after graduating from Shillington.

Looking back, how has winning the scholarship shaped your design career path?

Winning the scholarship gave me the confidence to pursue my career change whole-heartedly and be thoughtful about where I was applying to jobs and internships after Shillington.

And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to future applicants, what would it be?

You have a unique story and perspective. Think about how you can use your existing skills and passions to tell that story in a compelling way.

Feeling inspired by Kim’s story? 🌟 Our Half Scholarship Program is now open for 2026!

This is your chance to study graphic design at Shillington and transform your creative future. Don’t miss out, the deadline to apply is 20 October at 5pm EDT.

👉 Apply here