Missouri State University

Annina Fremgen

  • Major: 21
  • Hometown: Willow Springs, Missouri

Passion for metals sparks a college transition

Down the road, you might have the product of Annina Fremgen's vision in your home. Perhaps the table on which you eat dinner with your family. Annina wants to design furniture.

After two years at Missouri State, Annina Fremgen knew it was time. Time to move on to the next phase of her life to pursue a unique career at another university.

Down the road, you might have the product of her vision somewhere in your home: Perhaps the table on which you eat dinner with your family. Fremgen wants to design furniture.

A different creative ventureAnnina Fremgen

It was near the end of the 2014-2015 school year that Annina knew she wanted to do something different. Art and Design — metals in particular — has become a niche at Missouri State, but the fit wasn’t quite right.

So she started exploring her options online, and discovered the solution: The furniture design program at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But what exactly is furniture design?

“It can be anything,” Annina said. “There’s an industrial side where you make office furniture or desks or chairs. There’s also the more artistic side.”

Those artistic designers typically work on their own, and not for a company, she said, noting that they can make really artistic pieces that function as a table, but look nothing like a traditional model.

Lessons learned over the yearMetal art creation

Annina, who’s from Willow Springs, Missouri, said she’s getting prepared to move even farther away from home.

“Independence is a big thing,” she said. “It’ll be more so when I move there. My study habits and things I’ve learned in class have helped me learn how to be a good college student here.

“I’ll take that and try to implement it in those classes up there.”

It was at the end of the spring semester that the college life and responsibilities really started to click for her. After starting to work part-time this fall, she’s had to get even better at time management, and encouraged new students with a simple message.

Don’t panic.

“You’re constantly growing as a person. You’re never done,” she said. “Strive to do the best that you can and find a solution.

“Everyone goes through some form of the same thing. You just have to get through it and figure out what works for you.”