Published on April 21, 2022 by Ashley Smith  
Bekah Summa

Interior design senior Rebekah (Bekah) Summa was selected as one of Metropolis Magazine’s top Future 100 in the April 2022  issue. 

Following the debut of the Future100 program in 2021, Metropolis set out again to designate the top graduating architecture and interior design students in the United States and Canada. The program, sponsored by CannonDesign, Daltile, Formica, Interface, Keilhauer, Rapt, Sherwin-Williams, and SOM, invited the most talented students from the class of 2022 to apply.

Nominated by their instructors and mentors, 56 interior design and 44 architecture students were chosen by the Metropolis team, representing schools across North America and Canada. “They are leaders on their campuses, advocating for equity and inclusion through their work and extracurriculars,” stated the magazine.

“Nominating Bekah was an obvious choice along with several other contenders in her class. Her award did not come as a surprise but confirmed what we already knew. She is an outstanding student, designer and individual whose approach to design stems from her personal integrity and values that are reflected in thoughtful concepts for spatial development, exceptional execution, and an honest use of materials. She sets a high standard for the classes that follow!” said Jeannie Krumdieck, chair of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design.

Summa’s portfolio of work was described by the magazine in this way, “Summa’s designs are deceptively deep, stemming from a highly personal and intuitive approach that results in fresh, simple, and very practicable work.” 

“Receiving the Metropolis Future 100 felt like a huge honor. Over my past four years at Samford, I have put in a lot of time and effort into my work and knowing that it touched someone in a large enough way to receive this achievement was exciting,” said Summa. 

She sees interior design as a way to influence and impact her community.  “I just want people to feel impacted by my work. I truly see Interior Design as a mission field, and if I can somehow plant a seed for Christ through my work, that is what is really important to me. I think people sometimes underestimate how far something such as Interior Design can impact someone, and so I really don’t want to ever shy away from the influence my work could hold,” said Summa.

During her four years at Samford, Summa has built strong relationships with both her peers and her professors. “Overall, the talent and kindness of all the professors in this program are truly something I will never take for granted. They are highly talented professionals that are able to zone in and work at the student level to help us develop highly thoughtful projects, a very unique skill set,” said Summa. “I just have truly enjoyed the professors and the friendships I’ve built through the program. I will carry both the education and relationships I gained from the program far beyond just these four years, and I think that’s really special!"

After graduation, Summa is moving to Raleigh, NC to work at Cline Design Associates, an architecture and planning firm that focuses on commercial design.  She will be in the interior design department, working on a diverse range of projects in the North and South Carolina area.

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.