Congratulations to Summer Delaimi, winner of our Canadian Future Designers Scholarship

Phil McFadden

Copy Director

We’re delighted to announce the first winner of the York & Chapel Future Marketers and Designers Scholarship: Summer Delaimi. Summer will receive a $5,000 grant to support her education.

Summer Delaimi stood out with her unique perspective on design—and outstanding portfolio of design work. We sat down with Summer to hear her goals and ambitions for the design industry.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Summer, I’m 18 years old and I live in Ottawa, Ontario. I’m originally of Iraqi descent. My parents immigrated here 25 years ago, so my older sisters and I grew up here.

Currently, I’m studying at Carleton University, getting my BA in Information Technology, as part of the Interactive Multimedia Design program. It’s a joint program with Algonquin College. The key areas I study are Digital Media, Design, Human-Computer Interaction, and Game Development.

Q: What made you want to study design?

Ever since I was a kid, I always knew I was a creative person. I was involved in school activities and clubs with things that involved the arts. That included theatre, musicals, drawing, writing, and even cake decorating! I was always involved in creative topics, and I knew I wanted to integrate this creativity into my career.

I’m also fascinated by technology. I grew up with social platforms like YouTube and Instagram, and I’ve been fascinated by how those platforms grow and evolve with each generation.

I noticed a pattern of interests growing into my high school career, so I researched industries and careers and saw that design was a viable option. Growing up, I thought that art and design weren’t stable career opportunities, but now I see that it’s integrated into every industry in our society. I realized it was the career I wanted to pursue, considering my love for art and technology.

Q: How would you bring a new perspective to the world of marketing and graphic design?

As a Middle Eastern, Muslim woman I feel like I haven’t been represented in the media. I’ve always found I was an observer of media, I’m not the person that media chooses to represent, target, or even use as a model—the focus is almost always a Caucasian audience. It may not be intentional, but it feels exclusionary to a lot of communities who struggle to find their identity in media.

It’s important to uplift the voices that haven’t been heard or have been misrepresented. We can bring a lot of value to this industry by sharing our ideas, perspectives, and ability to problem solve and hear the communities around us. It’s an equitable, smart decision for all job environments.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

I’d love to thank everyone York & Chapel for such an amazing and generous opportunity. I’m honored to receive this scholarship. It inspires me, and I hope it inspires other designers to move forward in this industry, no matter their background—because design really is limitless.

Thank you, Summer! You can follow Summer on her Instagram @summerdelaimi, see her artwork on her other Instagram @summerd_art, and follow her on LinkedIn.

Stay tuned for more updates on the York & Chapel Future Designers Scholarship. If you’d like to apply for the US scholarship, we will share information soon on how to apply.