Vogue Room

Mission Match: Residential Room Makeover at Johnson C. Smith University

August 21, 2024

One of the most exciting moments of the first year of college is move-in day when students can create a residential room that matches their personality and interests. We believe that a clean, safe residential room contributes to the success and well-being of our students, and this year, in addition to providing our summer cleaning and maintenance services for residential rooms at Johnson C. Smith University, we took things a step further and partnered with The Vogue Room Foundation to give an incoming freshman a residential room makeover.

The Vogue Room Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides first-generation minority college students with a functional, well-designed residential room space. The Vogue Room’s mission matches our own, recognizing that a functional and well-designed dorm room promotes productivity and innovative thinking.

“Our busy season is typically in the summer. Our custodial and maintenance teams turn the residential rooms once students move out, and then they do it again after each summer camp and at the end of summer to prepare for a move-in. Seeing the impact we are making with a cleaning and maintenance perspective and bringing that full circle to help build a beautiful room for a student is very fulfilling.” – Brittany Doring, SSC HR Business Partner

The Vogue Room Vision

Ebony Staten was a first-generation college student. About four years into her interior design career, she saw a post from Michelle Obama on Instagram highlighting her personal experiences as a first-generation college student. The post resonated with Ebony and sparked a desire to give back to college students using her gifts and talents.

The Vogue Room Foundation started small in 2019. Ebony sent out applications to a few high schools in Charlotte and received two applications, ultimately designing one residential room space. This year, there were over 100 applicants, and Ebony and her team were able to complete five room makeovers.

Learn More About The Vogue Room

Pink Paradise: Creating Julissa’s Dream Room

Julissa was chosen by SSC & The Vogue Room Foundation for a room makeover at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. She is pursuing a degree in biology and plans to become a midwife after graduation.

After selecting Julissa as a winner, Ebony worked hand-in-hand with her to make her dream room a reality.

“I work with my students like I work with my clients. We start off with a consultation, and we talk about what colors they like and dislike, make wallpaper choices, and ultimately have one-on-one sessions for about a month.”

 

Ebony & Julissa collaborated on a “mood board,” and Julissa was able to switch out items she liked or disliked, building her dream room step by step. Once the vision was complete, Ebony worked with the university to gain early access to her residence hall and set up before Julissa’s arrival in time for a grand reveal.

Julissa couldn’t have been more thrilled with the result, and her happiness – and the happiness of each student she works with – is the reason why Ebony continues to move her nonprofit forward:

“It feels amazing to me, using my gifts of interior design, decorating, and making spaces beautiful to pour into these first-generation college students. I can recall when I went off to college, that I had an amazing community around me. As I started to get to know people’s stories, I realized people weren’t always as fortunate to have that community. As a first-generation college student, there are barriers – lack of financial support and lack of family support. Partnering with companies like SSC and Compass Group helps us push the mission forward and create a home away from home for these first-generation college students.”

 

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