by HIGH POINT – High Point University students worked alongside thousands of home furnishings professionals from across the globe during the High Point Market, which ran from April 26-30. Students gained life skills in the furniture, design, merchandising and sales sectors as they handled various job responsibilities during one of the world’s largest home furnishings tradeshows.
Olivia Occhipinti, a senior strategic communications major, worked for the second time as a key account sales representative assistant at the D&W Silks showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center. This was her third time working at the market.
“It gets very busy and fast-paced,” said Occhipinti, who is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “I’ve learned a lot of skills by working with customers and customer service while keeping a problem-solving mindset. High Point University has helped to prepare me for interviews and meeting people, and this helps me to talk more professionally.”
Amy Zheng, a junior social media and digital communication major with a double minor in business administration and Chinese, gained real-life experience while working for her third consecutive market at the D&W Silks showroom. Her responsibilities included setting up the showroom, greeting designers and retailers, scanning badges, placing orders and answering sales questions regarding interior and exterior plants, silk trees and floral arrangements. In addition, she ran the company’s Instagram account, creating photo and video content during both the fall and spring markets.
“Working in a furniture market setting has helped me gain experience in the sales industry, as well as enhancing my networking and communication skills,” said Zheng, who is from West Milford, New Jersey. “I’ve been able to apply my content creation skills to the company by creating social media posts for them, which has also been very helpful as I want to go into a marketing career with a focus in social media and content creation. Along with that, working at the market has opened many opportunities to connect with people in different work industries. Networking gets you so far in life, and I’ve been able to meet many different designers and sale representatives, learning more about what they do in their career.”
Emily Cruz Aguirre, a sophomore interior design major, worked at her first High Point Market at the Currey & Company showroom. Her responsibilities included scanning badges, greeting visitors and helping them connect with sales representatives. She was excited to see industry professionals she had met previously during class trips and an introductory home furnishings course she took on campus.
“Things that I’ve learned by working at the market include developing my confidence in speaking to people in the business to create that special connection and experience for the people visiting, as well as understanding all the effort that is put into hosting this event,” said Cruz Aguirre, who is from Danbury, Connecticut. “I believe this experience is helpful for my future goals because it gives me the opportunity to connect with individuals and learn about such a wonderful industry and start getting my foot in the door.”
After graduation, she plans to enroll in one of HPU’s one-year master’s programs and take the NCIDQ exam to become a certified interior designer. She hopes to someday open her own design firm.
Kaitlyn Townsley, a senior special education adapted curriculum major, worked for a fourth consecutive market at Lifestyle Enterprise. She assisted Adam Leifer, a key account sales representative, with pricing, product breakdowns, touring showrooms and writing orders.
“Working in sales has taught me about the importance of leadership, organization and communication,” Townsley said. “I’ve learned from my experiences at the market that clients are more likely to buy from a sales rep they trust and enjoy talking to. The relationships you build are almost as important as the products you sell. Something my boss always says is ‘Chase the work, not the money and you’ll have all the money you need.’ Even though I plan on working in education, the connections I have made here and the principles I have learned will help me succeed in any setting. I was born and raised in High Point, so the opportunity to work at High Point Market has helped me learn about and appreciate my hometown even more.”
Caroline Clifton, a sophomore fashion merchandising major with minors in marketing and Spanish, attended the High Point Market while working as a spring intern for the design team at King Textiles, LLC.
“I learned about the basics of the High Point Market overall: what it is, how people interact within it and what it might look like to work within a textile or furniture company,” said Clifton, who is from Lewisville, North Carolina. “Having the opportunity to participate in High Point Market is an invaluable experience in terms of getting a glimpse into the world of textiles, connect with salespeople of all company sizes and from all different regions, and expand my skills in workplace communication and etiquette as well as understanding what a day in my life may look like if I decide to go the upholstery marketing route.”
HPU alumna Sophia Santoyo gained a real-world introduction to the intersection of direct sales, branding and storytelling during her four years of working at the High Point Market.
Working as a sales representative assistant with Eichholtz for two markets allowed her to put into action the life skills she learned as a Class of 2023 advertising, public relations and strategic communication major who earned her master’s in communication and business leadership in 2024. She felt comfortable stepping into the fast-paced, global sales environment with confidence, professionalism and purpose.
“High Point University prepared me not just academically but professionally,” said Santoyo, a native of Prince Frederick, Maryland, who now works as a content creator in HPU’s Office of Communication. “From the boardroom to the showroom, I was equipped with the strategic communication tools and the leadership mindset needed to thrive in a client-facing, high-stakes sales setting like High Point Market. Working with Eichholtz opened the door to powerful global networking opportunities, as we welcomed clients and buyers from all over the world — all converging in High Point for one high-impact weekend.”
Amanda Warren, a senior interior design major from Waxhaw, North Carolina, also gained experience working at the market.
“Being a sales assistant at Summer Classics, I learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes business that I had no idea about,” she said. “Being able to follow them around, see how people interact with designers and how they choose their items was interesting. I helped them to choose different items and create sales packages. When I worked with Visual Comfort, I was a greeter. It was cool to see big groups of design companies come in. I didn’t expect that many to come to High Point, and they all had different styles.”
