Student
FIDM Students Attend NRF Foundation Student Program in New York City
Twelve students from four different FIDM majors—Merchandising & Marketing, Merchandise Product Development, Fashion Design, and The Business of Denim—recently returned from the NRF Foundation Student Program in New York City. The four-day event drew more than 1,100 college students from over 130 schools. Three FIDM Students, including NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship semi-finalist Jordan Hui, received travel-related stipends for the trip.
The 2020 Student Program gave tomorrow’s fashion and retail leaders a chance to network with industry power players and attend workshops and panel discussions. A large-scale Career Fair highlighted more than 140 job opportunities from 25 employers, such as Gap, Amazon, Nordstrom, and Uniqlo. The invaluable experience allows many students to secure positions and launch their retail careers after meeting directly with recruiters.
“At NRF, I got to network with two of my favorite brands, Sephora and Levi’s,” said Creative Industry Studies, Merchandising & Marketing Core Student Savannah Spinola, who serves as the NRF Student Social Media Ambassador for FIDM. “I got to network with both brands and ask questions about how to apply to work with their company, as well as what opportunities were available in order to get my foot in the door.”
At panels and keynote addresses, student attendees heard from 44 speakers, such as Macy’s Chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette, Starbucks CMO Emily Chang, and IRL Lab by Walmart CEO Mike Hanrahan. The Student Program’s Featured Speaker was Daniel Lubetzky, the Founder and Executive Chairman of KIND, who shared his entrepreneurial journey to build a not-only-for-profit business.
“Students have an opportunity to hear from industry leaders about the culture and strategies in today's retail environment and speakers give insights in how to succeed in finding a job and succeeding in a career in the fashion retail industry,” said Eva Gilbert, Chairperson for Merchandising & Marketing, Merchandise Product Development, and Apparel Technical Design at FIDM. She added that students networked with these same industry leaders in groups of 10.
For Bay Area native Savannah, who will graduate from FIDM this year, one of her favorite parts of the NRF Foundation Student Program was a panel featuring former NRF students who now work with famed retail companies. "It was really interesting to hear their stories and how they got to where they are now," she said.
Learn more at studentbigshow.nrf.com.
Categories: Creative Industry Studies Fashion Design Merchandise Product Development Merchandising & Marketing The Business of Denim Student
