Bachelor of Interior Design student Diana Boucher was recently awarded the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO)’s Contemporary Office Interiors Design Excellence Scholarship.
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The scholarship is made possible through the annual COI Design for Charity event – a collaborative initiative between Contemporary Office Interiors, Eames Office, and MillerKnoll – and is awarded to up to four third- and fourth-year interior design students from across Ontario each year.
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The program is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the design industry, with a focus on supporting students who identify as International, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), 2SLGBTQ+, or individuals with special needs. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to using design to address inequity.
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For Boucher, the recognition represents a significant milestone in a journey that has taken her from an earlier pursuit of a university degree, through a successful career in dental hygiene, and ultimately back to school to pursue her passion for interior design.
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As a Métis citizen, Boucher has also made Indigenous perspectives and cultural reclamation central to her studies and emerging design philosophy. Her academic work has explored topics ranging from Indigenous epistemologies and self-determination to emergency preparedness in Northern, rural and Indigenous communities, culminating in a final thesis project focused on the Pekiwewin Cultural Centre.
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Below, Boucher shares her journey into interior design, what this recognition means to her, how her Métis identity has influenced her approach to design, and the advice she has for other students considering putting themselves forward for opportunities like this one.
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Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey into interior design? What drew you to the field, and why did you choose to pursue your Bachelor of Interior Design at Yorkville University?
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My journey in the pursuit of an arts degree began many years ago. As a Métis citizen, I faced much hardship in my life due to generational marginalization. However, many years ago, after much commitment, I was accepted into a Theatre Arts program as a mature student at another university. Still, due to the cancellation of government funding, I was forced to quit my studies in my second year.
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From there, I began pursuing a college degree and spent many years in the field of dental hygiene as a clinician, instructor, and, later, as a program director. Even though I enjoyed my previous career and took great pride in it, I had always felt disappointed about not being able to complete my university degree or study in my preferred field.
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I became very interested in interior design in later years because I loved the juxtaposition between spatial theory, design philosophy, and art. Unfortunately, I could not commit the time to on-campus studies because I was raising a young family. Therefore, I was very excited to learn that Yorkville offered a fully online BID that was accredited by CIDA and recognized by ARIDO and IDC.
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Their recent addition of Indigenous scholarships also helped immensely in my pursuit, and I commend Yorkville for recognizing the need to support Indigenous communities in attaining post-secondary education. In the context of this difficulty, it is important to note that I am the only Métis person in my generation in my family to have graduated from university.
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Because of this, I was very committed to excellence in my pursuit, having waited for so many years to earn my degree; therefore, I am very proud to have graduated with distinction this year.
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When you found out you had won the ARIDO Contemporary Office Interiors Design Excellence Scholarship, what was your first reaction? What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?
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My initial reaction to being informed that I had won the ARIDO Contemporary Office Interiors Design Excellence Scholarship was excitement coupled with a slight sense of disbelief.
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I have enormous respect for the organization and its members. Therefore, I felt both honoured and humbled to have my hard work in the BID program recognized by Contemporary Office Interiors, Eames Office, MillerKnoll, ARIDO, and its members.
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Winning the scholarship gave me greater confidence in my ability to pursue my dreams and present myself as a professional in interior design, which, previously, my mature age made me hesitate to do.
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The scholarship places a strong emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion in design. How have those values shaped your approach to your studies and your design philosophy?
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The scholarship’s focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion resonates with my journey as a Métis citizen. Sharing my story aims to foster a sense of shared purpose and inspire others to support Indigenous voices and cultural reclamation in design.
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During my studies at Yorkville, I have incorporated much of what I have learned about my own culture and other Indigenous cultures into my assignments and interior design projects, including fourth-year papers on MNO’s Pursuit of Self-Determination, The Government of Canada and First Nations Struggle for Child Care Control, Indigenous Epistemologies and Ontologies Contributing to the Global Conversation Regarding Society and AI, group projects on Equitable Education, a capstone project on Improving Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Northern, Rural and Indigenous Communities, in addition to my final thesis project. Many of my senior-year professors were very encouraging and supportive in this pursuit, for which I am very grateful.
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I was particularly enthusiastic about completing the Pekiwewin Cultural Centre as my final thesis, as it reflects my own desire to reclaim my Métis culture and connection to my Indigenous community.
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I have a profound respect for the philosophies, ontologies, and epistemologies of North American Indigenous peoples and have made it my main career goal to incorporate them into my design philosophy whenever possible. Unfortunately, this is mostly absent in Interior Design due to the interruption of the natural evolution of Indigenous interior design caused by colonization.
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ARIDO noted that this year’s winners’ accomplishments reflect not only your academic efforts, but also the character you bring to your studies and your community. Can you share some of the extracurricular activities, community involvement, or leadership initiatives you’ve taken on during your time as a student?
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My initial contact with my local Métis council was during my internship course at Yorkville University, when I reached out to volunteer. I immediately found kinship in my community, began forming closer connections with council members, and became more involved in volunteering with the council beyond my university requirements.
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In addition, I had the honour this spring of being elected by my community to serve as Secretary of the Credit River Métis Council. It has given me great pride over the past year and a half to work to promote our culture and participate in and contribute to the MNO’s journey towards self-government.
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I have also volunteered to serve on the council for the new Sault Ste. Marie Métis Heritage Centre as a consultant for its interior design, and I am anxiously awaiting their response.
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You were invited to attend the COI Design for Charity event on April 23, which raises the funds behind this scholarship. Can you tell us a little bit about what that experience was like for you, and what it meant to you to be part of that evening?
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I felt very privileged to accompany my peers and fellow recipients on April 23 to bear witness to the many contributions ARIDO and COI make to our communities.
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Because, according to ARIDO, the scholarship program is “committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, with a focus on supporting students who identify as International, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), 2SLGBTQ+, or individuals with special needs,” it holds a particular interest to me. They note that, “By addressing systemic barriers and limited access to resources, this initiative helps foster a more inclusive and representative design community” (ARIDO, 2026).
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I also loved the sense of support and encouragement I witnessed among peers in the interior design community.
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What advice would you give to other Interior Design students who may be hesitant to put themselves forward for scholarships or awards like this one?
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My advice for other interior design students who may be hesitant to put themselves forward for scholarships or awards like this one is to look beyond what you may consider to be the immediate obstacles to attaining such an award and to consider the future benefits of what this may mean to your communities and to your future career opportunities.
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That way, even if it may seem like an unachievable goal, you may see it is a goal worth pursuing, and once you have embarked on that goal, you may find out, like I did, that it is indeed an achievable goal.
