I remember my early years as a tomboy; that is, I refused to own dresses, only wore knee-length cotton or basketball shorts, and dismissed the idea of wearing pink. In third grade, however, my grandmother started taking me on shopping trips at the mall. She showed me the joy in clothes, and her eye for style drew me to fashion: an outlet where I found my voice and discovered what makes me unique. I later stumbled upon the show Project Runway through a family friend and have yet to go back to a world without fashion. I remember over-accessorizing throughout elementary and middle school and eagerly waiting for monthly issues of InStyle. In high school, I became known as the player who dressed up for field hockey pasta parties and the girl who filled in her eye brows for track meets.

RSO involvement, industry experiences, and courses in my major helped me realize that fashion makes up the essence of who I am. A general business degree (sans the fashion lens) would leave me simply checking the boxes and going through the motions. Within fashion, I fall in love with the processes and people that keep me up at night and eager to get out of bed the next morning. 

While my passion revolves around fashion, I also want to surround myself with people who challenge and uplift me. Hence, the best decision to study fashion merchandising at the University of Delaware. Here, I look up to admirable mentors and understand where my values align. Finding my passion and making a positive impact on the community shapes who I am today and how I plan my next steps.

Today, I show up to college classes, family events—you name it—wearing sky-high heels that epitomize, yes, self-deprecating short jokes but more so my ambition to lead an industry that shapes my passion and values. I echo my diplomatic personality and high energy in advocating for fashion for all. Where I come from and what I stand for translates to improving the accessibility of fashion for me to lead candid conversations, carve out new spaces, and keep stories at the forefront.

A lifelong learner and independent explorer, I take steps necessary to find opportunities abroad to immerse myself in the people I serve, setting goals around launching and scaling global initiatives. S(e)oul searching, I now know that only in fashion do we have a quality of life and embrace who we are: what never go out of style.