Kwangjae K Jay Choi

Fate by design

Kwangjae “K. Jay” Choi moved to Canada to expand his scope in the fields of architecture and interior design, and the interior decorating diploma at Sheridan was the perfect match for his requirements.

“I was looking for a chance to come to a country with a variety of different cultures,” says the Korean-born architect and designer who was drawn to the field as a child watching home renovations programs on television. “Sheridan is a leading institution in this field, so there was no hesitation.”

With interior decorating skills added to his cap, K. Jay, as everyone calls him, takes pride in translating ideas into reality. He credits his time at Sheridan for helping him land his job as designer at Toronto-based Yabu Pushelberg, an interior design firm that takes on projects around the world. K. Jay is currently working on various international projects such as a Park Hyatt in China; Printemps, a department store in Paris, and a high-end fitness gym in Manhattan.

He describes his time at Sheridan as intense. “I was an international student studying on scholarship, so I needed to do my best to keep up my grades to keep the scholarship,” says the 33-year-old. “I studied really hard. At the same time, I was a peer tutor teaching other students software that I knew.”

The grind of the assignments and projects kept him busy enough, but at the same time the rigour taught him what to expect in the world of employment. “In retrospect, it was a fun and good time,” says K. Jay thinking back on how hefty his curriculum was. It helped him gain in-depth knowledge of elements that go into constructing a building.

He advises students graduating in near future to focus on their capabilities and to believe they have all the tools and to give everything a try. “There is no reason to hesitate, just try whatever you can do. After that, you can figure out which way you want to go.”

By Mehreen Shahid, Journalism – Print, 2015

More about Sheridan’s Interior Decorating program.