American Society of Interior Design Recognizes Berkeley College Alumna as Bronze Star Winner in Portfolio Competition
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
BERKELEY COLLEGE ALUMNA AS BRONZE STAR WINNER IN PORTFOLIO COMPETITION
Berkeley College Celebrates 35 Years of Innovation in Interior Design
Photo Caption: (Left) Berkeley College Interior Design alumna Esther Marquez was recognized by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID NJ) with a Design Excellence Award for her submission. (Right) Esther Marquez’s rendering of a residential penthouse that won a Design Excellence Award from ASID NJ. Submissions were evaluated on concept, content, context, and execution of design. Marquez is a graduate of the Berkeley College Interior Design program, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
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The New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID NJ) recently recognized Berkeley College alumna Esther Marquez as a Bronze Star Winner in its Student Portfolio Program, earning her a Design Excellence Award. The competition evaluates submissions on concept, content, context, and execution of designs. Marquez graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Interior Design in May 2025.
While Marquez may be the most recent Berkeley College alumna to be recognized by ASID for her work, she is certainly not the first. Previous honorees include Meghan Maldonado, Kerri Neumann, and Reem Beck. Marquez’s accolade coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Berkeley College Interior Design program, showcasing its development through the years. Berkeley College has conferred approximately 1,300 degrees and 100 certificates since the inception of the Interior Design program in 1990.
“The Berkeley College Interior Design program has grown through the years, expanding to new campuses and online and providing students with expanded opportunities for hands-on learning,” said Alfonso Torino, PhD, Chair, Interior Design, Berkeley College School of Professional Studies. “The experiential learning components of the program, along with the internships that our Career Services Department helps students obtain, offer invaluable practical opportunities to ensure students are well-prepared as they enter the workforce.”
Marquez said that her residential penthouse project centered around a balance of warm wood tones, rich black and gold accents, and deep green for contrast. The palette was rooted in natural materials and timeless finishes, curated around the client’s favorite colors.
“Being recognized with an ASID NJ Design Excellence Award has been an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience,” Marquez said. “As an online student, single mother, and someone balancing part-time work and homeschooling, I often found myself designing late into the night, driven by purpose and persistence. I was encouraged to enter the competition by my professors who saw something in my work that I had not fully seen in myself, and their belief in me gave me the confidence to go for it.”
Marquez works as a freelance e-designer and as a contract designer with Havenly, a virtual design service, while continuing to accept independent residential projects.
Read More: Bachelor of Fine Arts Graduate Success Stories
Interior Design degree programs at Berkeley College focus on the creative and technical aspects of the industry. Students complete an internship or similar job-related assignments to apply the theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to practical real-world experience. Instructors in the program are chosen for their professional experiences, CAD knowledge, and creative skills. The BFA in Interior Design program in Woodland Park, NJ, is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans for 12 consecutive years. Berkeley College is also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2025 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower each student to achieve lifelong success.
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