Designer Transforms Sorority House

By Meredith Cobb

New Jersey native Jenna Steckler ’94 is not afraid of change. It usually starts with simple intuition, she says, a “little voice” that suggests it might be time for something new.

The description helps to explain how she graduated with a marketing degree from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and now, 25 years later, runs her own interior design firm that recently remodeled the Sigma Delta Tau house near campus in College Park.

“I was always the creative type,” she says, but when originally choosing her major she wanted to ensure she was setting herself up for success. When she was admitted to Maryland Smith, she saw a path forward.

“Even if I changed course down the road, having a business degree would never hurt,” she says.

Her first career was in corporate sales, and while Steckler categorizes herself as creative, she also loved learning new things, analyzing and working with diverse people. But when the little voice began whispering about interior design after 15 years, she knew it was time to listen.

After obtaining her certificate from the New York Institute of Art and Design, she went to work building Jenna Steckler Interiors.

“Part of me regrets not doing this sooner,” she says. “But I’ve stopped having that regret because having that background of business and sales has given me such a leg up in my own business. Understanding the background work gives me much more freedom to actually be creative and do what I’m meant to be doing.”

When explaining how creativity and adaptability were essential parts of the redesign at the Sigma Delta Tau house, Steckler says she looked for pieces that would serve multiple purposes. “The girls wanted something fresh and modern, and I wanted to make sure it was something returning alumni and parents would appreciate too,” she says.

The project required working on a tight timeline, as the house was only available for renovation for a few weeks at a time. Meeting the challenges of deadlines and design, however, is what Steckler loves to do.

“I was always going back to design,” she says. “I think it’s important to know that it’s never too late to start something else. There’s always more school or a new career path. The most important thing is to listen to that voice inside your head, because if it’s talking, it’s talking for a reason.”

Meredith Cobb is a freelance writer based in Ellicott City, Md.

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