Club Highlight: NRFSA

Our next LIM student organization to learn more about is the NRFSA. (I’m sure that will take a few tries to remember what each letter stands for.) This is an incredible organization our school is a part of, and one of the biggest benefits of being involved with them is the opportunity to earn scholarship grants. I had heard of the NRF prior to coming to LIM, but it was exciting to know we had our very own student association with them. I spoke with Jordan Whiteman, who filled me in on some great details.

Tessa: What year are you in and what is your major? 

Jordan: I am a senior, graduating in May 2020, majoring in Fashion Merchandising on the Buying and Planning track.

Tessa: What club are you part of and what’s your role?

Jordan: The NRFSA (National Retail Federation Student Association). I am the Co Student Ambassador.

Tessa: What is your club about?

Jordan: The NRFSA is an academic club that expands students’ knowledge of corporate retail. The National Retail Federation is the lobbying group in Washington D.C. that speaks for retail companies across America. As the student branch, we are tuned into industry trends as they happen and always on the lookout for the next trial retail format to hit New York City.

Tessa: What’s special about your club?

Jordan: The NRFSA is special because it is such a great way to expand on what students are learning in class and take it to a real-life setting. It’s also such a great networking experience. We’ve had many alumni receive full-time jobs, in some of the highest-paid entry-level positions, through their participation in NRF scholarship and networking events.



Tessa: What are some events you do for the club? 

Jordan: During the semester, we have guest speakers from different areas of the industry attend our weekly meetings to discuss their daily roles and what their career path has looked like. We go on field trips to see the latest retail formats and pop-up locations. We host community service events.

We also attend the NRF Big Show Student Program every January. This is a weekend-long convention where students are able to network with NRF partner schools across the country, hear about last year’s retail trends, and hear from current retail executives about what to expect in the upcoming year. They have an executive mentor portion and a “get hired” career fair offsite, where you can meet with retail recruiters after you’ve heard their executives speak all weekend.

Tessa: How many meetings are there for the club per month and when are they?

Jordan: We host meetings every Wednesday at 1:15 in Room 0501 at Fifth Avenue. We hope to see you all there! Our Instagram is limcollege.nrfsa if you’d like to stay in the know for future events!

Tessa: Anything else people should know about the club?

Jordan: The NRFSA is really an amazing way to complement classroom learning and expand your portfolio in order to secure a position for after graduation. The retail industry touches so many areas, so this is a great club for students within any major to learn about the industry!