HPU Interior Design Student Awarded 2025 Havertys Cup
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 28, 2025 – Amanda Nicole Warren, a High Point University senior majoring in interior design, was honored as the 2025 recipient of the Havertys Cup. She received a $3,000 award and a personal replica of the Havertys Cup.
The Havertys Cup was established in 1986 by the late Rawson Haverty to honor annually an outstanding senior in one of the home furnishings programs at HPU. The award was created to encourage students to pursue a career in the home furnishings industry.
“I am honored and grateful to receive this award,” said Warren, who is from Waxhaw, North Carolina. “With such a talented community, it was a genuine surprise that filled me with absolute joy. I am thankful to my professors and mentors at High Point University who helped guide me, prepare me and inspire my passion, enthusiasm and drive. Being selected for this award proved that all my hard work, dedication and passion for design was seen by my mentors, as well as proving that I am prepared to take the next steps within my design career with the quality education that my professors at High Point University have provided.”
In addition to receiving a replica of the Havertys Cup, Warren will have her name engraved on the base of the Havertys Cup, which is on permanent display in the library of Norton Hall on HPU’s campus.
“In our 140th year, we’re proud to continue our relationship with High Point University, providing a scholarship to graduating seniors to help them with their first career opportunity,” said Scott T. Miles, senior vice president of stores for Havertys Furniture. “I think it’s important for us to stay connected with High Point University so we can continue to learn about the young adults who are coming out of school. As our industry is changing, we want to make sure we’re in tune with every generation of furniture needs.”
Each generation differs in how they think about home, agreed Helen Bautista, senior vice president of digital and marketing for Havertys Furniture. Sponsoring the annual scholarship for HPU interior design students helps Havertys stay connected to how consumers think about home “or even what a home is for them.”
Warren took every opportunity to expand her interior design knowledge both in and outside of the classroom while at HPU. She has experience in commercial and hospitality design and has participated in the High Point Market as an assistant to sales representatives and designers. She interned in hospitality design at Baskervill, a multi-disciplinary design firm, and has secured a full-time position after graduation with its Charlotte, North Carolina location. There she will craft and create interior design concepts and plans for hospitality projects, specifically in the hotel and resort industry. She looks forward to creating beautiful, engaging and functional designs that also inspire, tell a story and enhance the overall guest experience.
“When Amanda Warren asked me how the faculty go about choosing the student awards, I explained that each award has different criteria,” said Dr. Jane Nichols, chair and Luke Family Endowed Professor of Interior Design. “But for the Havertys Cup, we choose our best senior who consistently is at the top of the class year after year. That describes Amanda perfectly.”
Warren received high academic honors throughout her years at HPU, as a Dean’s List recipient each semester, a Presidential Scholar and one of four students selected to represent the university in the 2024 Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition. She was also a supplemental instructional leader for interior design classes. As part of HPU’s Creative Arts Fellows Program, Warren had the opportunity to explore several different outlets, methods and expressions of art. She is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Student chapter, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH).
Warren said her plans are to continue to expand her knowledge and experience by incorporating sustainability and accessibility principles into her work, by achieving LEED Certification and obtaining an NCIDQ License. She has had a lifelong passion for various forms of art and expressing her creativity. She obtained her cosmetology license in 2023, and practices yoga, which helps increase her creative flow and energy.