After earning her bachelor's degree in International Business Management, Alexandria worked retail jobs while considering the best next step for her career. After seeing the types of careers our alumni have, Alexandria enrolled in LIM College's master’s program in Fashion Merchandising & Retail Management. It turned out to be a smart move, because she already had a great job lined up after finishing her degree.

(Editor's note: As of Sept. 2022, Alexandria is the Senior Operations Associate at Super Smalls, a kids' accessories and gifting brand.)

Why did you choose LIM?

I started working in retail after college to figure out exactly what I wanted to do in this industry. After a year, I decided it was time to take the next step and sought out the LinkedIn profiles of people with careers that interested me. One of the commonalities was LIM College.

What happened in your career while you were at LIM?

I interned for Sergio Rossi while with LIM—and accepted an Assistant Merchant position from New York & Co. after I finished my master’s degree.

What’s it like to be in an online degree program?

It’s been very beneficial to determine, on my own terms, when my classes are because I had a crazy schedule for a long time. I’m very disciplined and have no problem locking myself in my room to read a couple of chapters on a Saturday night if necessary. I’ve also really appreciated the engagement I was able to have with my professors throughout my program—it was vital to my success.

How much access did you have to your professors online?

Students and professors all use discussion boards to communicate with each other. The interaction between my classmates and our professors is much more than you would expect for an online class.

How is LIM helping you work toward your career goals?

I’d like to reach the executive level, and LIM has helped make that goal a realistic one. The faculty and staff are invested in my success and everything I learn is relevant.

Part of the reason I was offered a position with New York & Co. is because I was able to have meaningful conversations about everything from visual merchandising strategies and product development life cycles to sustainability and differences in generational cohorts—that was a direct result of what I learned at LIM.

The curriculum is very content-focused and teaches you what you’ll need to know on the job. Not many programs—even at the graduate level—are like that.