Why Did I Choose Kent State University?

The first reaction I get when I say I study Fashion Merchandising in school is this: Why Kent State University? For fashion? In Ohio?

I know - it does sound a little out there. Your first thought when someone says they study fashion, you think of New York City, maybe even Los Angeles. You don't think of a small town in Northeast Ohio. I'll be honest, I didn't either. When I was an incoming high school senior, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. There were so many interests I wanted to pursue but I also wanted to choose something that made me happy in the end. I wasn't even applying to any schools yet - I didn't know what was out there. I didn't even know that fashion was something you could actually study or get a degree in, that is, until someone had suggested it to me. This person had told me that this career path seemed right up my ally - I liked to be creative in my style and was always keeping up-to-date on celebrity news and trends. I decided right then and there that I was going to make that my major.

Truthfully, I had only applied to two (and a half) universities. The first school I had applied to was Western Michigan University; they had a decent fashion program and it was a safe option for me, as it was close to home. I then started applying to Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, as this was a top school for fashion and it was in a state that I've always wanted to live in. In the middle of my application process to FIDM, however, a coworker of mine was studying fashion design at Kent. She had said to me, "Forget everything you know about fashion on the coasts. You want to go to Kent." It seemed totally bizarre that a tiny school in Ohio would be so well-known for fashion, but I looked into it. The program seemed like a dream: required studying abroad, hands-on learning, required internships, a department that helped to find any internships and jobs post-graduation, industry leaders as your professors, and a combined program to earn your MBA during your senior year. This school was also very close to Cleveland, about 45 minutes, and two hours from Columbus. The downtown area of Kent also seemed like a fun place to be in my spare time. This was amazing! I didn't even mind that it was in Ohio and that I had never been, I dropped everything and applied right away and was soon thereafter accepted into the program.

Going into my final semester of my undergraduate career, I now reflect: was it worth it? I definitely think so. The last four years at Kent State University have been nothing but amazing. I am in a program that has made me grow into the person I am, both professionally and personally. I will be graduating this May with my Bachelors in Fashion Merchandising with minors in Fashion Media and Marketing. I will also be graduating over the summer with my Masters in Business Administration. I have had two marketing internships in the field that I adore. I have made friendships that I know will last, connections with people who I know will be there for me. I have somewhat of a goal for post-graduation (though the future is still uncertain - thanks COVID). Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I was not allowed to study abroad in the timeframe that I was given, but that is okay, I was able to adventure a little bit more in Ohio with the cities being so close by. All-in-all, I am very excited for what is to come and the growth that I will be experiencing post-graduation due to the experiences I have had at Kent.