Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Fowler.
Hi Angel, I’m so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
“My past is not my crutch; it is my reason towards greater things”!
Where I come from, and what I’ve been through is the very thing God has used as a foundation to prepare me for where I am today. My accomplishments are great, and titles and status are cool, but they are not my purpose, and it is not who I am. The purpose of sharing my testimony is to inspire and encourage others to hang in there, not to give up, and to trust with all their heart despite what it looks like even if it doesn’t make sense and even if you don’t have a logical explanation that God will show up! Let this piece of my story be an example of truth as I share it with you and understand that I have no story without my past.
As the oldest, I had to quickly learn the responsibility of life and become a self-driven provider for my siblings at the age of 13. Holding onto a spiritual foundation, the words of wisdom from my mother, and the comfort of my grandmother were the things that drove my determination the most. It was my goal to one day be proof that there is a better path capable for my siblings and that success was possible even for us.
With so much going on in my life at such a young age I felt that my family’s success story was up to me, that if I didn’t do something to bring a gleam of hope and change then we would forever be trapped in the heart of the city bound by the normality of what’s around me, trapped in the mindset that is completely oblivious to the world and what it has to offer. Not having the best opportunities available to kids like me in the public schools of Baltimore City can hinder the mindset of striving and reaching for more especially when the thought of exploring outside of the city is way beyond your realistic actualities. But for me that wasn’t enough, I figured if I saw it on TV then it would be real and that I too can have such a life, that there must be a way.
My mother used to tell me “All I want is for you to do good in school”. It was her answer to a birthday, Christmas, or any occasion. As my teen years went by it clicked, education was the key, it was my ticket, but I didn’t know where to begin after high school. My parents were caught up in worldly addictions, my sisters were scattered for shelter in the streets, my grandparents were doing the best of what they could, and I needed to continue to work full-time. I thought my only choice was through the military, so I enlisted in the Air Force with the hope of one day getting into college. I spoke with a recruiter, I took some tests, and the day came for me to leave for basic training.
Listen; there are no words to explain what I am bout to share with you and to this very day I promise you that I have no idea how this happened but God! God showed up for me, he said, ‘I have other plans for you, I heard you, and I have what your heart desires. I am here to answer your prayers” … On that day there was a gathering of people outside waiting to see me off along with the recruiter there to pick me up, as I walked to the door the phone rang so I stopped to go answer it and the call went something like this… “Hi, I am calling to speak with Angel Timmons, I said, she said “Hi Angel, I am the administrator at the University of Maryland Easter Shore and I am calling to tell you that we have a room for you on campus to attend school but you will need to come this weekend as student orientation week has ended and classed will be starting this Monday. If you are interested, we can set your classes up and arrange financial services for you when you get here.”
I froze in place lost for words, see, I had never filled out a college application and I surely didn’t know how it was getting paid for, in fact, I didn’t even believe her at first, I said are you sure… she said yes, I asked her if she could hold for a moment and ran to get my grandmother. We stood in the hallway, and I told her who was on the phone and what the lady had said. My grandmother looked at me and said “Well, what do you want to do?” I looked at the people outside that door waiting for me to leave and I looked at her and said I want to go to school, and she looked back at me and said, “ok we are going to school then.” She proceeded outside and told everyone that they could go home. Now we just had to figure out how to get there, my grandmother didn’t drive, and I didn’t have a license, so we called my other grandmother Marry.
That Sunday, I got on the road with both of my grandmothers Edna & Mary, and we headed towards campus, with a single black trash bag of a few clothes, a pack of notebook paper, a number 2 pencil, and a comforter that a neighbor donated to me. When we arrived at campus, I had no idea where to go or what to do and I had two little women with me just as lost, lol. Adjusting wasn’t easy as this had been my first time away from Baltimore City, not knowing anyone, what to do, or how to even begin, I was very afraid. After a long day of getting things squared away, the time came for my grandparents to leave. It was the most terrifying feeling I had ever felt. My sisters were out of reach to protect, my parents were caught up in the in-the-worlds courses and I was going to be alone for the 1st time in a place that felt like the middle of nowhere was coming from someone who has only ever known the city.
I finally reached my dorm room and opened the door; on one side I saw that my roommate was set up and settled with everything one could imagine and then I looked at my side and saw my black trash bag and blanket. I turned around to my grandmother and she said to me “Angel May, you make that bed, say your prayer, and get to class bright and early tomorrow morning” and so I did just that knowing that nothing else mattered. I had one mission and one mission only, to get back home with a degree of opportunity, to show my sisters we got this!
Fast forward, I became one of the top students in my department, president of the envisions club, featured in local TV stations, art exhibitions, fashion shows, and local newspapers, and finally got my license to drive all while attending undergrad. I continued to pursue my education at the Academy of the Arts University in San Francisco where I obtained a master’s degree in interior architecture and design. I am now married with two wonderful children. My sisters are doing well, my parents are in much better places, my grandmother Mary, and grandfather Horace have left to be with the Angels and my grandmother Edna is still holding on strong. I am so proud of them all, especially my mother who just had her 1st ever graduation in 2023, she has defeated the street addictions and is still pushing towards success every day! She is the reason education is so important to me.
During my master’s degree, I became a stay-at-home mother while my husband was still actively serving. Time went by and life happened, and I needed to prepare for the next chapters of my life. I had to figure out what was next, where I was going to work, how I was going to manage with a 2-year-old and a newborn, and how I was going to balance life. One thing I knew too well was that the answers weren’t going to come to me I had to go get them, so I started applying for jobs.
I learned very quickly that entering the work world was very difficult. It felt like I was starting all over and some points just felt impossible. I consistently faced rejection due to lack of experience, it was like my degrees meant nothing. The frustrations and emotions were real, nothing made sense to me. All, I could think was, “With all the knowledge in the world, it’s still not enough, what more….”
Being taught that education was the key, that it’s how you get a good job, and that doors of opportunity will open to you, somewhere along the lines everyone seemed to have left out that this would be true only if you have an education plus experience. Nothing prepared me for this, how can you get something that no one is willing to give? I didn’t come from a family of connections; I didn’t have friends of family advantages or referrals I had me.
After a while of frustration and emotions, my mouth began to pray, my heart began to fight and my tears were no more because I remembered…I remembered my purpose for this process, I remembered my sisters, parents, grandparents, neighbors, and my community where I came from, I remembered my fight, struggle, and strain, in that moment I refused to quit. I changed my mindset, I told myself that if the corporate world will not allow me the opportunity that I’ve worked hard to gain then I will create the opportunity that cannot be denied!
In 2018, I became the owner of Interior Essentials LLC, a design company that provides interior solutions to commercial spaces. Coordinating and collaborating with architects, engineers, vendors, contractors, and clients. I have worked on and overseen organizational transformation for residential and commercial projects and have now obtained additional professional-level certifications, with more in progress. I have been seen on the B’more Lifestyle show on Fox 45 local news station where I have shared insider experience design tips, Roku TV for design segments, and now the Voyage Baltimore Magazine where I share my story with you. To this day I have been self-learning and educating every step of the way.
Where there is unknown or lack of understanding, I search, I find, and I seek until I get it right so that I may continue to grow. Although it is no walk in the park and seems to take longer than most, I couldn’t be prouder. As they say, slow and steady wins the race and I am forever grateful. I am grateful for the opportunity that has come my way, for my dear friend Chip who was the first to take a chance on me by sending my business its first project to jumpstart things, and for the encouragement of my friends, family, my husband, and children.
My entire life has been destined to succeed with a mindset that refuses to quit. I am determined to continue to grow and expand my business so that I may one day inspire, grow, and provide knowledge and opportunity to those who seek the experience I once sought. With great humbleness, I look forward to the day that I can look back on how my “once upon a time, nothing became something” story becomes a testimony to someone else’s path.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope this helps you with yours in some way.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As principal and Head Designer, I provide interior solutions to commercial spaces, by transforming environments, enhancing culture, and highlighting functional purposes such as:
- Business development
- Contracting
- Financial management
- Procurement
- Design Development
- Project Management
- Product Planning & Processing
- Delivery & Installation
- Post Occupancy Management
I understand the importance of cultural analytics, modernizing specific functions, and the need for re-designing as it reflects on the foundation of health, safety, and welfare of the people suited to meet the client’s needs. The environments in which we practice our daily routine and what it takes to ensure its efficiency are important to me.
For this reason, I maintain a constant practice of knowledge, collaboration, and adaptability to change. It is a goal of mine to encourage others “to see beyond the canvas in front of them to visualize the future of what could be”.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Faith, honesty, knowledge, courage, determination, perseverance, and patience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.designmeinteriore.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelfowler_official/
