From the Texas Gulf Coast to the Texas Tech stage, an interior design student carries her story—and her college's banner—across the finish line.
Josephine Krueger always knew spaces had the power to tell a story. She just didn't expect hers to begin with a hurricane.
When Hurricane Ike made landfall in 2008, floodwaters devastated the Krueger family's home in La Porte, Texas. Josephine was five years old. In the months that followed, she tagged along with her mother nearly every day after school to watch their home come back to life — framing, finishes, custom millwork, furniture selections — all shaped by the careful decisions her mother made alongside their neighbor, an architect.
"Seeing that process inspired me to pursue a creative field," Krueger said.
That early experience planted a seed that grew steadily through high school art classes and campus tours across Texas. After visiting five universities, Krueger chose Texas Tech — drawn in by the faculty, the curriculum, and a personal connection that ran deeper than most.
"My father earned his master's degree through the College of Health & Human Sciences,"
she said. "There was a special sense of pride in becoming part of the college that
meant so much to him as a Red Raider."
Now a graduating senior completing a Bachelor of Interior Design with minors in architecture and landscape studies, Krueger has been selected as the Spring 2026 Banner Bearer for the College of Health & Human Sciences, an honor awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional academic merit, leadership and campus involvement.
For Krueger, the recognition reflects something bigger than a single achievement.
"From the moment I arrived on campus as a freshman in 2022, I was determined to become deeply involved within the college and across campus," she said. "To bear our banners far and wide is an incredible honor and one that fills me with immense pride."
Her time at Texas Tech has reinforced a philosophy about design that she carries into every project: good design is ultimately about people.
"Interior design is not simply selecting paint colors and furniture," Krueger said. "Our education is rooted in architecture, structure, environmental impact, accessibility and understanding how the built environment directly affects human experience. [The college] has taught me that design has the power to improve lives."
That perspective has shaped her professional focus. Krueger's long-term goals center on historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and civic and cultural design — areas she will begin exploring this summer through an internship with Perkins&Will, a globally recognized architecture and design firm in Washington, D.C. She will also live in the Texas Tech House through the TTU Government and Public Service Internship Program.
In the fall, she returns to Lubbock to pursue a Master of Science in Environmental Design through the accelerated program within the College of Health & Human Sciences, continuing her journey as a Red Raider for one more year.
Krueger is a LEED Green Associate and active member of numerous professional organizations, including the International Interior Design Association, the American Society of Interior Designers, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Phi Kappa Phi, among others.
She leaves her undergraduate years with gratitude for the community that shaped her.
"I never expected my professors to be so personally invested in my growth and success," Krueger said. "The culture within the Department of Design has had a tremendous impact on who I am today."