EL Questionnaire 2015

Name: Sarah Long
Company: SMMA
Concentration: Commercial
College/University: BS in Marketing at University of Connecticut (2007) and MA in Interior Architecture at New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University (2014)
Year(s) of Graduation: 2007/2014

As a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?: It depended on the day! I remember dreaming of becoming a marine biologist, an environmentalist, a teacher, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, an artist, an entrepreneur, a writer – the list went on. I think that’s one of the reasons why I love Interior Design – I’m able to wear different hats as I work with different clients.
If you could keep only five possessions what would they be?: A notebook, a pen, my phone, my glasses, and a hair tie – the essentials!
What is a skill you'd like to learn and why?: I’d love to be fluent in other languages. I try to pick up at least a few phrases of the local jargon for wherever I visit, but being able to fully interact and carry a conversation would take traveling and meeting new people to another level.
If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be?: I would love to have dinner with architect and designer Neri Oxman. I was lucky enough to attend the Women in Design Symposium at ABX last October, and I was fascinated with Neri’s work and design philosophies.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?: I have always loved to travel and explore new places. I truly hope there is a lot more travel in my future! I would love to be able to take a “trip around the world” and visit as many places as physically possible in one trip. There is so much to experience and learn from out there!
What accomplishment are you most proud of?: Graduating NESAD and landing my dream job. Being nominated as an Emerging Leader in the design industry is the cherry on top!
Lesson learned that has benefited you most in your career: Treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s such a simple concept, but it is so vital to success in both a professional and personal setting. 
Why did you choose to become an Interior Designer?: I was the little girl constantly morphing my surroundings. Whether it was my bedroom (because what 6 year old doesn’t need a big girl office in her room) or my parent’s dining room to create a “retail space” with what we had in the house, I was always envisioning how a space could be transformed. It’s just how I’m wired!
Most significant inspiration: My biggest inspiration in both my personal and professional worlds is my family. It sounds so cliché, but it’s true! They have helped me become the woman I am today.