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Letters from Friends

Ross pursues passion for fashion in Ohio, New York, and Asia

Amanda Ross in Hong Kong

Amanda Ross, a junior in the Department of Consumer Sciences, writes of how both classroom and travel experiences with her academic program have broadened her understanding of her field and her vision of her future. She emphasizes the importance to her education of the scholarships she received that were contributed by alumni and faculty emeriti: the Lucile B. Alexander Recognition Fund, the H.M. 'Pete' and Velma V. Everhart Fund, the Minnie Price Scholarship Fund and the Edith M. Slabaugh Scholarship Fund.

I come from a very small town in Ohio called Dresden where I used to dream of attending a prestigious university and studying fashion, which was my passion. Ohio State was my first choice because of the quality of the Fashion and Retail Studies (FRS) program, which is uniquely positioned with both experienced instruction and global reach.

To prepare, I took courses at Ohio State Newark during my senior year of high school and completed prerequisites for the major. I was extremely excited, in December of that year, to learn I had been accepted by Ohio State. My Newark campus coursework allowed me to enter FRS officially for winter quarter of my freshman year.

In my three years as an undergraduate in the merchandising program of Fashion and Retail Studies, I have had the good fortune of experiencing some of the greatest opportunities the program offers, both inside and outside the classroom.

Learning about Asian culture and clothing manufacture

During summer 2009 after my freshman year, I traveled with eight other students and Drs. Leslie Stoel and Sharon Seiling on a study tour to South Korea, Hong Kong and China. Our goals were to learn more about Asian culture and textiles and clothing manufacturing, and to teach students at Chungnam National University (CNU) and Hong Kong Polytechnic about the U.S. retail industry and current developments in the fashion industry and sustainability.

We enjoyed sharing and comparing our experiences in our textile classes with the students in Korea and Hong Kong. The trip taught me that the world is not that large, and there are students halfway around the world learning about the same industry as I am and how it is continually expanding globally.

Connecting with experts in the Big Apple

For the past two years, I have been involved in the Fashion Student Organization (FSO). We participate in many activities such as fashion-related fundraisers and hosting guest speakers. With this group, I took the opportunity of going on the annual spring trip to New York City in 2010. During our excursions, we met with industry experts and designers at companies, networked with contacts and explored the Big Apple. Favorite companies include Bergdorf Goodman, G-iii, ECI New York and Elizabeth Arden.

FRS alumna Laurie Dowley, senior vice president of Elizabeth Arden, generously hosted us for a two-hour discussion at the company's corporate offices at 200 Park Avenue South. For the 20 of us in attendance, Dowley introduced Elizabeth Arden's groundbreaking research and efforts to permeate the Asian market.

For example, Ms. Dowley explained how research shows that Asian women pay tremendous attention to their skin care regimens. In light of that consumer research, the company has developed products that were released exclusively in Asia, including its White Glove Extreme Skincare line. This is their newest project and they've devoted a great deal of time and research to it. She showed us a few of the products in the line, as well as another new product, their mineral powder that you grind yourself so you have fresh powder for each use.

The message of targeting a market in Asia resonated with me due to my experiences in Asia the previous summer. It was refreshing to see two seemingly unrelated experiences come full circle for me, making me realize how well-rounded the FRS program is, with its supplementing activities with student organizations.

Classroom experiences open doors

Although I have had amazing experiences outside the classroom, those inside the classroom are the other portion of a well-rounded education.

In Lecturer Julia Cooper's new course, Fashion and Retail Promotion, we learned the importance of branding and the marketing mix: product, price, place and promotion. In a team project, we studied companies' promotional materials and created media calendars for our own brand or store initial offering/venture.

My favorite project in the course was making a press kit for a boutique opening in the new Ohio Union called Station 88. Boutique manager Cynthia Harris, an Ohio State alumna, came to our class to describe the unique aspects of Station 88. She gave us fact sheets about the store and answered questions. After her visit, we split into groups and created our media kits. Cooper then sent all the kits to Harris, who chose my group's kit as most representative of the boutique. I was pleased because I wrote the press release for our kit.

Since I believe in making the most of every opportunity, I was able to obtain a job with the boutique based on the fact that Harris remembered me and my press release.

Alumni offer many benefits to students

Networking and making connections, especially with alumni, are very important and integral parts of an education in the FRS program. As this year's president of the Fashion Student Organization, I ensure that our group features not only speakers from the fashion industry, but also alumni from our program, to show what is possible when you study FRS at Ohio State.

Not only do alumni help with students' future career endeavors, but they also contribute to financing our education through scholarship donations. Alumni are the key to helping students like me unlock a successful future. I look forward to meeting the next new challenge!

Help make a difference with a gift to the college

You can make a difference with your gift to the college.

To assist students like Amanda Ross, give to fund #302808, the College of Education and Human Ecology Student Financial Aid Fund.

To contribute where the need is greatest, choose fund #301705, the College of Education and Human Ecology Dean's Discretionary Fund.

If you have any questions, please contact Development Officer Deborah Schroeder at (614) 292-8011 or dschroeder@ehe.osu.edu.

View other letters from our friends.

Send us a letter! We welcome news from our alumni and friends. Feel free to update us on your latest work, both professional and personal. Send letters to Sean Thompson, Director of Alumni Relations, College of Education and Human Ecology, 185 Arps Hall, 1945 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43210.

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