NRF Foundation Student Program: A Purpose in My Passion for Fashion
Finding My Path Though the National Retail Federation Foundation
I have a soft spot for Springsteen in my “Hungry Heart”, but I’ll always choose the City over the Shore – a no-brainer with the notorious Fashion Avenue credited for its prestigious RTW climate. February street style challenged my perception of masculinity, toying with youthful prints and fluid silhouettes apposite for an upcoming decade of androgyny, perhaps? I like to narrate how the Big Apple learned to exemplify sleek separates and contemporary menswear. However, hailing from butt central Jersey, I better articulate impotent pork roll tangents than navigate the MTA to move along line A.
I remember the panic that I felt stepping outside of Penn Station while visualizing the simplest path to the Javits Center. Woohoo, my top-notch UD intellect reminded me that loitering sans-abris on W 34th Street seemed neither useful nor . . . safe, but Google Maps offered little assistance to someone who fails to differentiate her left from her right. I patted myself on the back after making it to Nordstrom and Kohl’s without losing an arm or leg, only to halt my celebration after realizing that moving from point A to point B is minuscule progress toward keeping up with The City That Never Sleeps. I had to start adulting like a “big girl” as my dad heartily jabs at me, but I say from my “Hungry Heart” that I hope to create a place for myself amongst the challenges and intensity of the Big Apple.
Miraculously making it to the Javits Center in a timely fashion, I walked into the NRF Foundation Student Program with my heart set on X and tunnel vision zoomed-in to Y and Z (what NOT to do) until panelists opened up about their journeys to finding their (oftentimes, impromptu) niches within retail, whether fashion or furniture. From transitioning out of Greek life to finding like-minded people to amplifying visions – participants walked away from the Student Program with a team of professionals pushing them toward using their passions to creating paths in the industry.
I underwent both professional and personal growth (*finding Javits, no?) but, more importantly, the Student Program drove my passion for fashion retail by offering fruitful experiences that are difficult to stimulate on campus. Turning a plausible profession into a people-oriented purpose – more Blue Hens to join the National Retail Federation Foundation.
In other words, let’s start a NRF Student Association chapter at UD.
