Student

Ce'Meion Turner Set Sight on FIDM in Elementary School

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ce’Meion Turner attended the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts for vocal performance. After her sister passed away, Ce’Meion received all of her designs and sketches, and quickly fell in love with the art of fashion. While doing a class project in fourth grade, she discovered FIDM. “I spent two days researching and falling in love with the school,” Ce’Meion said. “Almost every year after that, I kept following up with the school and retaking the Career Quiz all the time as my interests would change.” Although she was passionate about FIDM, the future Merchandising & Marketing Student thought she would go to college for music. But after seeing the DEBUT Runway Show and visiting the campus, Ce’Meion knew FIDM felt right. “It just felt like I was home,” she said. We spoke with Ce’Meion to learn more about her unique journey. 

How did you choose your major? As I said before, I have probably taken the Career Quiz a 100 times because I had so many different interests in fashion. Originally, I wanted to design just like my sister, but the sketching talent really skipped over me in the family. There was one common major that kept popping up as I would take the career test and that was Merchandising & Marketing. I loved helping brands create new ways to reach new consumers and communities. Ultimately, I love helping people and aiding them in creating a connection with brands.

Tell us about your experience as a Merchandising & Marketing student at FIDM: This program has helped me learn so much, not only about what I want to do , but about myself. There are so many beautiful “a-ha” moments that come with this major because you can go into so many different careers within this major so it can feel really intimidating if you are unsure about what exactly you want to do. I started off wanting to be a buyer, but I was not entirely in love with the idea.

During my fifth quarter where I took Public Relations with Aneesha DuBois. I noticed when I did homework for that class, it did not feel like homework, it felt like everything I wanted to. I would get so excited to attend class and so happy to receive feedback. She honestly gave me my PR awakening. I realized how much I loved PR and she is such an inspiring person to have as an instructor. Every class within this major is so informative and great, but it felt so amazing to take a course and it be everything you have been searching and hoping for.

What have been the most valuable lessons you've learned so far? Within the major, it is how to work in a team. Merchandising & Marketing students have team projects in almost every single class that they take so you come across so many different types of people with different schedules, work ethics, and mindsets. It is definitely great to be surrounded with people who think differently because you guys can really come together to create something so out of the box and innovative. On the flip side, you have to learn how to work with people who are different from you and learn how to communicate through problems that arise.

I think one of the most valuable lessons I have learned personally is that everyone is on their own timeline. It is more than okay to not have everything figured out right now at this moment. There are people in this life who have had their whole life planned out since they were in the fourth grade, and there are some people who just go with the flow. In being one of those people who have had their life planned out, it is okay to start again and reset if something does not go according to plan. Things in life are not happening to you, they are happening for you. I thought I was going to be in a music hall singing for the rest of my life and here I am in LA pursuing a career in fashion PR. The most valuable lesson is that things can change and change can be amazing.

What excites you most about the industry and what do you hope to do after graduation? I am so excited to see all of the new innovative ideas that come out of the industry. Not knowing what is next is so thrilling because in marketing anything can be a good idea if executed correctly. There can be another platform like TikTok that introduces a new way of marketing, or there could be a new influencer that sparks a new wave of style and photo-taking that inspires brands. You never know and that is the most exciting part to
me.

After graduation, I am returning to FIDM to get my bachelors degree in Digital Media. I want to intern at a dream company such as Nike and hopefully work my way into being on the PR team for Nike. I have always loved that company and how they tell stories through their campaigns.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us? FIDM is a place that was as far as my nine-year-old brain had stretched when I had planned my entire life out. FIDM almost felt like an end goal because I did not know what was to come after it and now I know that is the beauty in the future. You create a dream or goal, you train or study for that goal or dream, you exceed your expectations, and then the best part is you get to create a brand new dream. The beauty is in the mystery of the future.

Attend our Online Lecture Series event, The Art & Science of Fashion Buying, on Thursday, July 15, 2021, from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PDT. Register for the free event here. 

Categories:  Merchandising & Marketing Student