Alumni
Natalie Tejeda Participates in Study Tour to Thailand
Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Natalie Tejeda attended South High School, then Bakersfield College where she received a double Associates in Art and in Art History. She transferred to FIDM where she earned her Apparel Industry Management, and is on schedule to graduate in June 2023 with her degree in International Manufacturing & Product Development. She participated in a study tour to Thailand as part of IMPD. We caught up with her to learn more.
Please tell us about the study tour to Thailand! What was the experience like? Going to Thailand was a unique experience in itself. My fellow peers and I were able to get special access to visit factories and manufacturers and observe how production works from the start of a garment to the completion. Being given the opportunity to see the process of label making, screen printing, an assembly line, and digital sublimation gave me more of an understanding of how all of these processes work. When we weren’t visiting companies/factories we were able to go and explore Thailand. We got to try traditional Thai food, visit flea markets that sold handmade goods such as jewelry & handmade garments, and we even got to visit one of the nearest beaches. My favorite part about being in Thailand had to be going from point a to point b and this was only because we were able to use their version of a taxi called a “Tuk Tuk” which was a lot of fun. Overall, my experience in Thailand was very enjoyable and I hope to visit again sometime in the future.
What was your path to FIDM like? I knew that FIDM was the university that I always wanted to attend. I was first accepted through the Junior advantage program but decided to stay a bit longer in my hometown and reapplied after my completion at my community college. It was a challenge moving away and not really knowing anyone in the LA area but I soon was able to meet and make friends through school.
How did you decide on your major? I decided on my major by speaking with my admissions advisor. I was not quite sure what I wanted to do but I knew that I wanted to do something that entailed learning about design, business, and the ins and outs of the industry. Which is why I chose to do the Apparel Industry Management program (AIM). Through this major I was able to learn how to make tech packs, advance my resume/portfolio, and learn essential skills used in the industry. I then applied and joined the IMPD Program which is a 9 month program. I chose this program because it would allow me to further advance the skills of what I had already learned in my prior degree and work more hands on.
What are your career goals? My career goals would be to gain a profession as a buyer or seller and work for a well established company. I hope to own my own company sometime in the near future.
Anything else you’d like to share? Through the IMPD Program we were also given the opportunity to not only work with a company but also travel. So in addition to going to Thailand we also traveled to London and Paris to gain trend research, color inspiration, and pattern inspiration in connection with the company that we were working with.
Follow Natalie Tejeda on Instagram @1709_natalie
