LIM College senior Kelsey White has been selected as the 2019 winner of the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation’s Next Generation Scholarship competition. Her award was announced during the annual NRF Foundation Gala in Manhattan on January 13. Kelsey is the first LIM College student to receive this prestigious national honor.
The NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship is the pinnacle achievement for students at the 75 NRF University Member schools who are currently pursuing retail careers or majors relevant to retail. This opportunity was created for students who have demonstrated leadership skills, previous retail experience and a passionate interest in making an impact in the retail industry.
In this video, Kelsey and her fellow finalists discuss what the Next Generation Scholarship program means to them and share their ambitions for pursuing a career in retail.
The 2019 Next Generation scholarship application process consisted of three phases. In the first phase, 103 applicants from 41 colleges and universities submitted an essay, personal brand video, letters of recommendation, resume, and academic transcripts. A panel of retail executives from 17 companies judged those materials to select 25 semi-finalists. Semi-finalists completed a case study created in partnership with BJ’s Wholesale Club and interviewed with an assigned retailer. The case study focused on the digital investments BJ’s Wholesale Club had made in the past 12 months. Students researched the company, conducted a competitive analysis and made recommendations for the future. The second panel of retail experts used the semi-finalists’ case studies and interviews to select five finalists to advance to the final round, where they were interviewed to determine the top recipient.
Kelsey is part of LIM College’s Fashion Scholars honors program. She has completed internships at BCBG, Showroom Delfina, Carolina Herrera, and Haddad Brands, and currently works part-time as a buying assistant at Chanel. Her ultimate career goal is to lead a luxury brand.
In addition to Kelsey, LIM College students Jessie Karagosian and Tori Sandness were named as semi-finalists in this year’s competition. Professor Marla Greene advised and supported the three throughout the NRF scholarship program process.
Kelsey, Jessie, and Tori all attended the NRF Student Program and Gala during the 2019 NRF Big Show, participating in mentoring sessions and networking with retail company executives.
