Valerie Jardon was switching careers and a brand-new mom when she began taking classes at College of DuPage.

“My goal was to stay home with my daughter during the day and take classes at night,” she said. “COD was perfect for that – the cost, close proximity to home and ability to take classes that fit my schedule.”

She was drawn to the Interior Design program because of the diverse opportunities available and flexibility of class offerings.

This degree can take you so many places if you have the drive to get there.

Valerie Jardon

“I was ultimately won over by the balance of creativity and technical aspects. I loved how challenging design school was,” she said. “The classes I took gave me an amazing foundation for the real world that has allowed me to flourish in my career. It also opened up a door for me to give back to the profession through teaching and mentoring, which helped me grow personally.”

After earning her Associate in Applied Science degree and the CAD certificate, Jardon transferred to the Illinois Institute of Art in Schaumburg as part of the 2+2 transfer agreement and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She spent the first six years of her career in educational and municipal design and then moved to corporate design. She passed the NCIDQ, registered with the State of Illinois, and passed the LEED AP and Fitwel Ambassador certifications exams. Most recently, she completed her Executive Masters in Business Administration and received her Change Management Practitioner Certification from Prosci in 2023.

She currently works at IA Interior Architects in the Chicago office. Initially the director of workplace strategy overseeing strategy for the U.S. market, she is now the managing director/principal of strategy globally. Jardon is building a team of architects, designers, anthropologists, data analysts, neuroscience and IO psychologists to approach strategy in a new way.

“After years of designing, I found my passion really lies in the upfront problem solving, programming and deep dive conversations that lead people to the best design solution to support their needs and goals,” she said.

In addition to working, Jardon volunteers her time to the profession. She chairs the Interior Design board for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and has played an active role in getting legislation passed for interior designers in Illinois to stamp and seal their own drawings, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2023. She was an International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Illinois board member for five years and served as the chapter president, during which she was the founding co-chair of the RED Awards and started the chapter’s Educational Fund.

She then joined the Executive Board for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), was one of eight people selected from the U.S. and Canada to work on the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) committee to re-write the definition of interior design regularly used in legal language, and completed her first white paper called “Happiness by Design: Multi-Sensory Wellness Spaces in 2019.

In 2021, Jardon was one of three local designers to bring the not-for-profit organization Project Color Corps to the Chicago area infusing color, brightness and energy into their first project, which was for the Boys and Girls Club at the James R. Jordan Club. A professional muralist transformed the building’s white stucco exterior via kaleidoscopic environmental graphics incorporating the club logo, while students and community members painted benches and planters to beautify the surrounding school area.

“Investing the time and resources to paint the center in more vibrant shades in consultation with the kids gives them both a sense of hopefulness as well as the feeling that they are important — that their views count,” Jardon said. “With a professionally executed paint job, the hope is that the school will become a beacon in a challenged neighborhood.”

As for COD, she has worked as an adjunct instructor and saw her children attending.

“My oldest still remembers sitting on my lap in COD classes when childcare fell through. She is now a COD alumna and returning student. Upon finishing her Associate in Arts in 2023, she shifted her focus to the Nursing program,” she said. “I love how life goes full circle!”

Jardon’s ultimate goal is to be relevant and growing while continuously giving back to the profession. As for students considering COD’s Interior Design program, she advises them to jump in and give it their all.  

“The real world isn’t HGTV. Expect to be exposed to a lot of technical skills in addition to design in your classes,” she said. “This degree can take you so many places if you have the drive to get there. Embrace the teachers who give you real and honest feedback. In the moment, it may seem harsh, but later in your career you will appreciate it greatly when you realize how much better it made you.”