Grace Kujawski found the perfect place to begin her college journey—right here in northern Michigan. A Boyne City High School graduate, she chose North Central Michigan College to continue her studies. 

“I was thinking about Ferris, but I just wasn’t quite ready to go,” Grace said. “North Central was close, and with the scholarships, it was the best opportunity for me.” 

At North Central, Grace is earning her associate degree in General Studies along with a certificate in Computer-Aided Design (CAD)—skills she’s already used in the real world. 

With help from faculty member Jeff Montgomery, she landed a job at a local design firm where she creates 3D plans for custom cabinetry and furniture, turning clients’ ideas into detailed digital models. 

“It’s so exciting to see something I worked on become real,” she said. “I love designing things that will become part of someone’s home.” Grace didn’t always know she wanted to go into design. But during the COVID-19 shutdown, she and her family built a backyard chicken coop together and she loved designing it. That small project sparked a big idea. 

“It was so cool to see my design come to life. That’s when I realized I wanted to do more of this.”

Thanks to one of her scholarships, Grace was also able to purchase a new laptop powerful enough to run CAD software—something her old computer couldn’t handle.

“Before this, I didn’t realize how much of a difference donors could make,” she said. “But now that I’ve experienced it firsthand, I know how helpful it really is.” 

Grace is still exploring what’s next—possibly studying architecture—but she knows she wants to come back to northern Michigan and use her skills to help solve a local challenge: the housing shortage. 

“Home has always been important to me,” she said. “It would be really meaningful to help people build their dream homes right here in our community.” 

Grace is designing more than cabinetry or floor plans—she’s designing a future that’s grounded in purpose, possibility, and place.