Please join us in congratulating Ilay Meas, who recently defended her thesis with flying colours and thus completed her bachelor’s degree in interior design!
Ilay, as you may remember, is the senior-most girl at Little Hearts. Over the years, we published a number of updates about her, especially about her progress at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, which included several memorable projects. And now she is our newest graduate, and our very own, newly minted interior designer!
Ilay’s thesis was a group project with a fellow student (who is also her best friend). They share an interest in Cambodia’s traditional handicrafts, especially the ceramics made in the province of Kampong Chhnang. Hoping to revive local and international interest in Khmer pottery and re-launch it in the global market, they chose to design a specialty museum that would house these unique ceramic items.
The work began with research, loads of it. Besides online research, the two aspiring designers visited five different libraries in Phnom Penh and then travelled to Kampong Chhnang to do field research about the history of ceramics and pottery in the province. When the research was completed and the project approved by the faculty, they began the actual design work, using both 2D and 3D drawings, drafting both by hand and AutoCAD, and then creating a detailed maquette (a 3D physical model) of the museum. The maquette alone took two months to complete.
They defended their thesis successfully on Wednesday, September 25, earning an A for their efforts. Individually, Ilay is graduating with an outstanding 3.75 GPA in her final-year coursework. Well done!
What next for Ilay? After a well-deserved period of rest, which coincides with the Pchum Ben holiday, she will have some decisions to make. There is a job offer on the table from one of our sponsors, which she has to weigh against the option of continuing her studies. A master’s degree in interior design, also at the Royal University of Fine Arts, may be in the cards, or perhaps just a period of intensive language study to improve her English and learn Chinese.
While she makes up her mind, Ilay will of course remain at Little Hearts, so thankfully we don’t have to say good-bye just yet…