Eight Textiles Students Receive YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund Awards

Eight N.C. State Wilson College of Textiles students were awarded scholarships from the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit made up of influential members of the fashion industry that works to offer support and encouragement to young people pursuing careers in design, merchandising, retailing and business. The scholarship winners were honored during the Fashion Scholarship Fund Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Awards dinner on Jan. 12 in New York City.

The winners are:

• Jayce Arnette (category: Design) of Nashville, Tennessee, majoring in Fashion and Textile Design
• Ashley Casanave (category: Merchandising) of Fuquay Varina, N.C., majoring in Fashion and Textile Management
• Morgan Franklin (category: Logistics) of Pinehurst, N.C., majoring in Fashion and Textile Management
• Cassidy Hahn (category: Design) of Concord, N.C., majoring in Fashion and Textile Management
• Monica Mayer (category: Merchandising), of Sherrills Ford, N.C. , majoring in Fashion and Textile Management
• Ali Sluder (category: Design), of Asheville, N.C., majoring in Fashion and Textile Management
• Megan Stitt (category: Merchandising); of Raleigh, N.C., majoring in Fashion and Textile Management
• Danielle Van Pelt (category: Merchandising),  of Gastonia, N.C., majoring in Fashion and Textile Management

The students were selected from a pool of 569 applicants representing 58 schools. Each student received a $5,000 scholarship from the fund. A total of 229 scholarships were awarded. The competition required that the scholars complete a case study created by the YMA FSF Scholarship Committee. These case studies were focused on a fashion company looking for strategic growth opportunity. The project required creative thinking, research and strong written communication skills.

Students were mentored by Dr. Katherine Annett Hitchcock, associate professor, and Lisa Boyles, lecturer. Scholarships were awarded entirely on merit taking into consideration the applicants’ GPAs, the case study projects, personal essays, and interviews with YMA FSF Ambassadors.