Freshman Year Highlights

My freshman year at LIM was something I had been dreaming about for years. Moving to the city and starting to find myself is the most exciting adventure I’ve ever been on. I have learned and grown more in the past few months than I have in my entire life. I was looking forward to many things in college, but there were some especially great experiences that I never thought would happen so soon, and which made my first year extremely special!

Getting my first retail job

Within two weeks of moving to New York, I was able to get my first retail job at Hollister. It taught me so many things. I dealt with all kinds of customers and learned to communicate with different types of people. I was able to apply the things I was learning in class to my job, and vice versa. I worked at one of the most popular Hollister locations in the country, the Herald Square location. Because of this, I was able to meet the CEO. It was a great experience that helped me learn more about the fashion industry.

Going to Kleinfeld

 

Shout out to Professor Kennedy for taking our class on a field trip to Kleinfeld Bridal! I’ve been watching “Say Yes to the Dress” since I was a little girl. I’ve dreamt about finding my wedding dress at Kleinfeld. Visiting this famous location was an eye-opening moment. (Two students were actually able to try on a dress.) I think this is when I realized that being in New York City really does come with great experiences that I wouldn’t be able to have anywhere else. I give LIM a lot of credit for offering students such amazing opportunities and for giving us the chance to network with industry professionals.

The Big Show

The NRF Big Show is a three-day conference where students can be mentored by industry professionals. There are guest speakers from big retail companies like Macy’s, Sephora, or Nordstrom. Hearing people’s stories about how they landed their current positions was such good insight. I learned that people don’t always end up doing what they had in mind, yet they can still end up doing something they enjoy. Many of the speakers studied different fields than the ones they currently work in. I also discovered positions I didn’t even know existed. This event exposed me to jobs I feel I would succeed in.

Internship

Getting my first internship was such a huge accomplishment. I wasn’t nervous during the interview process, but I wanted to make sure I made the right choice. I ended up with three different offers, and I am happy to say I believe I made the right choice. I chose to intern at Patrick J Clayton Productions, an event planning company. Interning, working, and taking six classes kept me very busy, and it was definitely a challenge as first, but I was so motivated. Interning and going to the office a few days a week gave me a glimpse of what my life could look like in the future. I learned about professionalism, communication, and business. I believe this internship has been my biggest learning experience so far.