NYSID’s Inaugural Jeremiah Brent Design Scholar on Interning at the Firm

Holly Hayden Taylor ’09 (BFA), Alejandra Escalante Barcelo (MFA2), and Jeremiah Brent

When Alejandra Escalante Barcelo (MFA2) heard that Jeremiah Brent Design (JBD) would be offering a scholarship and internship to a NYSID student last year, she seized the chance to apply. In her application essay, she wrote, “This opportunity feels like no other to me, because I know Jeremiah Brent’s Design is rooted in honoring the past, present, and future of a person’s story. I am passionate about learning how to craft spaces that do more than look beautiful, spaces that tell a story, evoke emotion, and create a lasting sense of belonging.” She sent her essay with images of one residential project and was selected on the basis of her work and words. Winning the scholarship surprised and moved her. In addition to a $5,000 merit scholarship, Escalante Barcelo earned a semester-long paid internship that began on September 12, 2025. 

Says Holly Hayden Taylor ’09 (BFA), executive design director of Jeremiah Brent Design, “We are so pleased to have Alejandra at the firm. This award is not only intended to provide financial assistance, but also a meaningful connection to the studio’s values and creative philosophy.” We sat down to talk to Escalante Barcelo about the experience. 

Rendering of Casa Mexicali project by Alejandra Escalante Barcelo (MFA2) from her internship application

NYSID: What were you doing before studying at NYSID?      

Alejandra Escalante Barcelo: I received my undergraduate degree in architecture from Universidad Marista de Merida in Mexico. I was freelancing in architecture before I left Mexico, but interior design was always my goal. When I researched all the schools in the United States, NYSID emerged as the best program for interior design. 

How is your Jeremiah Brent Design internship structured and what kind of work do you do? 

As an intern, I am there to support the design teams with whatever they need. There are three design teams working on many projects at the firm. I go to the D&D Building and the New York Design Center. I help with elevations in AutoCAD and other software. I contact vendors for samples, and also streamline and organize the materials library, removing duplicate samples. I call galleries about furniture. I take packages to FedEx. I even decorated the office for Halloween, which was fun.

There are tasks I didn’t enjoy at first, but these are perhaps the most educational. For example, I format slides for presentations according to the company’s standards. The formatting of the letters has to be perfect. The images have to be flawless. It’s so good for me to experience this level of detail orientation and witness how the projects are changing. Along the way, I am learning about so many furniture companies from all over the world. There are many that I didn’t know about in the high-end residential space. I’ve had to make calls to vendors while the whole team was listening and this I didn’t enjoy because I am an international student and I didn't know the professional language of design in the United States, versus Mexico. But this challenging experience forced me to learn it. Nothing could be better. 

What have you learned about the Jeremiah Brent Design aesthetic and process?

Every JBD interior is unique because they use a lot of vintage furniture. They find one-of-a-kind pieces that show history and relate to the story of the client or place. They are not afraid to showpiece something used, even if it’s not perfect.   

Their approach is both holistic and incredibly detail oriented. They consider every single thing about the space: the scent of the candle, the graphic on a matchbox, what books are on the shelves, every tiny detail in every single room. All of these details spring from the design concept.    

What have you observed about the culture of the company? 

I have been very amazed by how quickly all of them work. They juggle multiple projects at the same time and do detailed work on all of them. I thought I worked at a fast pace, but then I saw how fast their process moves. Yet, they always seem happy.  When you go into the office, you really feel like they are a team. They help each other. It’s a very organized way of working but doesn’t feel so rigid. You have a good time going to work, but you are working a lot.  

Jeremiah is famous, yet he is hands-on. He is there correcting the projects all the time. He is super involved. I think that’s pretty amazing.  

Rendering of Casa Mexicali project by Alejandra Escalante Barcelo (MFA2) from her internship application

What are your takeaways?  

My first takeaway is how important it is to go for opportunities. You can’t let fear of rejection stop you. You might see this scholarship and think you’re not going to get it, but put yourself out there, or you will never know.

At JBD, people all have different levels of work experience and education. I am learning from people who have vastly more experience working in the field than I do. In interior design, every project is different from the last, and you keep learning every single day. The experience of working at a professional level in an office is important. It gives me the confidence to trust myself and know I can do this.  

What did being selected for the scholarship mean to you?

It means a lot more because I am an international student coming to this country. The opportunity to do professional work at such a well-known firm is just amazing. It will open so many opportunities in a city and country I came to with no connections in design. Getting the scholarship and pushing myself to do good work has given me new confidence in my abilities.  

I just love being there at JBD. I am very grateful for NYSID, Jeremiah, Holly, and the whole team. I can’t believe I’m getting paid to learn, and in New York City. It’s a dream.  

Interested in Partnering with the New York School of Interior Design?  

The New York School of Interior Design partners with sponsors to create customized scholarships, internships, awards, and learning opportunities that spark innovation or help NYSID students use design to address real world problems. To discuss creating and naming a scholarship or award, please reach out to Joy Cooper, Director of Development, at giving@nysid.edu. Together, we can harness the power of design to improve lives and build a better future.