{"id":49961,"date":"2023-05-01T15:30:32","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T19:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/?p=49961"},"modified":"2023-05-11T14:24:31","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T18:24:31","slug":"daryn-wilkerson-23-launches-her-bridal-design-career-at-the-wilson-college-of-textiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/daryn-wilkerson-23-launches-her-bridal-design-career-at-the-wilson-college-of-textiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Daryn Wilkerson \u201923 Launches Her Bridal Design Career at the Wilson College of Textiles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By Sarah Stone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Daryn Wilkerson walks across the stage in her cap and gown and graduates from the Wilson College of Textiles\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/academics\/undergraduate\/fashion-design\/\">fashion design<\/a> program, she\u2019ll be fulfilling a dream over a dozen years in the making.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI knew I wanted to be a fashion designer the day I turned seven. I&#8217;m not exaggerating. My godsister got me a Nintendo game; it was one of those career games, and she gave me a fashion designer game. I just fell in love with it immediately, and I told my family \u2018This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,\u2019\u201d Wilkerson, a <a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/category\/centennial-scholars\/\">Centennial<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/park.ncsu.edu\/\">Park Scholar<\/a>, says. \u201cOf course, they thought I was joking.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">Related<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/park-centennial-scholarships-help-daryn-wilkerson-design-a-bright-future\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/park-centennial-scholarships-help-daryn-wilkerson-design-a-bright-future\/\"><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">Park, Centennial Scholarships Help Daryn Wilkerson Design a Bright Future<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">Private support \u2014 and the real-world, hands-on career experience these scholarships provided \u2014 helped pave the way.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Learn more about these <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>opportunities&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>When that same godsister got married a few years later, Wilkerson decided on her dream job: a fashion designer in the bridal industry. She\u2019s already made significant steps toward that goal, first with an internship for bridal gown designer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sarehnouri.com\/\">Sareh Nouri<\/a>, and, most recently, with the debut of her first bridal collection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She created the collection for the <a href=\"https:\/\/emerging-designers.textiles.ncsu.edu\/\">FTD Emerging Designers Showcase<\/a>, which is the culmination of the capstone course for students majoring in fashion and textile design.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_6438-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Daryn Wilkerson hand sews a detail onto a white piece of fabric. Mannequins are visible in the background. \" class=\"wp-image-49986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_6438-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_6438-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_6438-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_6438.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wilkerson working on her bridal collection in the Wilson College&#8217;s fashion studio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s really a full circle moment to see how you\u2019ve progressed everything you&#8217;ve learned in the past four years evident in a collection,\u201d she says. \u201cI did sew before coming to NC&#160;State, but it was very much home sewing, not anywhere near industrial level sewing. To be able to make apparel that is very much professional quality \u2013 could really even qualify as luxury, honestly \u2013 is something I\u2019m very proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What organizations have you been involved in on campus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m a co-founder of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/blackartistcoalition\/?hl=en\">Black Artist Coalition<\/a> at NC&#160;State. It was founded in 2020 essentially to create a space for Black artists on campus. There are already organizations on campus for Black artists in fashion, visual arts, music, etc., but we wanted to make a collective one and we also wanted to find networking opportunities for them to be able to get paid for their work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_5663-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Daryn Wilkerson (second from left) and three other people pose for a picture. All of. them wear Delta Sigma Theta tshirts .\" class=\"wp-image-49966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_5663-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_5663-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_5663-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_5663-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m also the treasurer of the <a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/tag\/african-american-textile-society\/\">African American Textile Society<\/a> and the president of NC&#160;State\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/getinvolved.ncsu.edu\/organization\/muomicrondstwebsite\">Delta Sigma Theta<\/a> chapter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Which person on campus has influenced you most during your time here?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/people\/kecarrol\/\">Dr. Kate Annett-Hitchcock<\/a>, 100%. Park Scholars have to pick a faculty mentor before our first day of class. She&#8217;s the one I picked, and she has been helpful in God knows how many ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She helped me get an internship with a fashion nonprofit in New York City called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.customcollaborative.org\/\">Custom Collaborative<\/a>. She\u2019s also connected me with a lot of people in the industry, including a past alumna that works in bridal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also just gives great advice. She&#8217;s very, very sweet and I love her; she&#8217;s definitely helped make my college experience 10 times better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What did you learn about during your semester abroad?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I went to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ldminstitute.com\/\">Lorenzo De\u2019Medici Institute<\/a> in Florence, Italy, and I went there mainly to take my elective courses. I took the Anthropology of Fashion Design; so that&#8217;s thinking about how society views fashion. I think that anyone who\u2019s pursuing any sort of design career should have an understanding of how society views your work, because that&#8217;s ultimately who decides honestly, if you&#8217;re going to make money or not, is the consumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/dc8403cc-dc13-41da-a062-3b91c8c54860-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Daryn Wilkerson (center) stands with her arms around two classmates, looking at the camera. Colorful buildings clustered tightly on the side of a cliff can be seen behind them. \" class=\"wp-image-49971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/dc8403cc-dc13-41da-a062-3b91c8c54860-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/dc8403cc-dc13-41da-a062-3b91c8c54860-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/dc8403cc-dc13-41da-a062-3b91c8c54860-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/dc8403cc-dc13-41da-a062-3b91c8c54860-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wilkerson (center) and her classmates explore Cinque Terre, Italy. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I also took an Italian language course and I really enjoyed it as well. It was helpful for me to learn outside of just studying abroad, because in bridal specifically we use Italian fabric a lot, so it was really helpful during my bridal internship when I had to interact with Italian suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then I took Fashion Entrepreneurship, where we had to write a business plan and learn more about the business side. And while I do love the design aspect, understanding the business side is still really crucial. As someone who also wants to be an entrepreneur, it was really nice to go ahead and get a draft business plan written and able just to tweak it as time moves on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What advice would you give to your first-year self?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Be more shameless about what you want, because you probably want it for a reason. That&#8217;s something that Dr. Kate has very much ingrained in me is to tell me, \u201cWhy don&#8217;t you just ask?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s no problem with sending a cold email. There&#8217;s no problem asking your professor a question that you may feel is dumb. You&#8217;re probably asking it for a good reason.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight with-image\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">Related<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/celebrate-the-wilson-college-of-textiles-class-of-2023\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/celebrate-the-wilson-college-of-textiles-class-of-2023\/\"><div class=\"highlight__image-container\"><div class=\"highlight__image-background\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" class=\"highlight__image wp-image-50076\" alt=\"Isabelle Salzmann stands in the courtyard of the Wilson College of Textiles. She wears a red windbreaker that reads &quot;Wolfpack.&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100253\/IMG_6548.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100253\/IMG_6548.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100253\/IMG_6548-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100253\/IMG_6548-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100253\/IMG_6548-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">Celebrate More Outstanding Students From Class of 2023<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">Each of the seven students profiled had college experiences as diverse as their programs  of study.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Learn <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>more&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/default-post-header \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By Sarah Stone<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When Daryn Wilkerson walks across the stage in her cap and gown and graduates from the Wilson College of Textiles\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/academics\/undergraduate\/fashion-design\/\">fashion design<\/a> program, she\u2019ll be fulfilling a dream over a dozen years in the making.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI knew I wanted to be a fashion designer the day I turned seven. I'm not exaggerating. My godsister got me a Nintendo game; it was one of those career games, and she gave me a fashion designer game. I just fell in love with it immediately, and I told my family \u2018This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,\u2019\u201d Wilkerson, a <a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/category\/centennial-scholars\/\">Centennial<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/park.ncsu.edu\/\">Park Scholar<\/a>, says. \u201cOf course, they thought I was joking.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/highlight {\"teaser\":\"Private support \u2014 and the real-world, hands-on career experience these scholarships provided \u2014 helped pave the way.\",\"callToAction\":\"Learn more about these opportunities\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">Related<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/park-centennial-scholarships-help-daryn-wilkerson-design-a-bright-future\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/park-centennial-scholarships-help-daryn-wilkerson-design-a-bright-future\/\"><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">Park, Centennial Scholarships Help Daryn Wilkerson Design a Bright Future<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">Private support \u2014 and the real-world, hands-on career experience these scholarships provided \u2014 helped pave the way.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Learn more about these <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>opportunities&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/highlight -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When that same godsister got married a few years later, Wilkerson decided on her dream job: a fashion designer in the bridal industry. She\u2019s already made significant steps toward that goal, first with an internship for bridal gown designer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sarehnouri.com\/\">Sareh Nouri<\/a>, and, most recently, with the debut of her first bridal collection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>She created the collection for the <a href=\"https:\/\/emerging-designers.textiles.ncsu.edu\/\">FTD Emerging Designers Showcase<\/a>, which is the culmination of the capstone course for students majoring in fashion and textile design.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":49986,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_6438-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Daryn Wilkerson hand sews a detail onto a white piece of fabric. Mannequins are visible in the background. \" class=\"wp-image-49986\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wilkerson working on her bridal collection in the Wilson College's fashion studio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIt's really a full circle moment to see how you\u2019ve progressed everything you've learned in the past four years evident in a collection,\u201d she says. \u201cI did sew before coming to NC State, but it was very much home sewing, not anywhere near industrial level sewing. To be able to make apparel that is very much professional quality \u2013 could really even qualify as luxury, honestly \u2013 is something I\u2019m very proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} -->\n<h4><strong>What organizations have you been involved in on campus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I\u2019m a co-founder of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/blackartistcoalition\/?hl=en\">Black Artist Coalition<\/a> at NC State. It was founded in 2020 essentially to create a space for Black artists on campus. There are already organizations on campus for Black artists in fashion, visual arts, music, etc., but we wanted to make a collective one and we also wanted to find networking opportunities for them to be able to get paid for their work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":49966,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/IMG_5663-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Daryn Wilkerson (second from left) and three other people pose for a picture. All of. them wear Delta Sigma Theta tshirts .\" class=\"wp-image-49966\" \/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I\u2019m also the treasurer of the <a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/tag\/african-american-textile-society\/\">African American Textile Society<\/a> and the president of NC State\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/getinvolved.ncsu.edu\/organization\/muomicrondstwebsite\">Delta Sigma Theta<\/a> chapter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} -->\n<h4><strong>Which person on campus has influenced you most during your time here?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/people\/kecarrol\/\">Dr. Kate Annett-Hitchcock<\/a>, 100%. Park Scholars have to pick a faculty mentor before our first day of class. She's the one I picked, and she has been helpful in God knows how many ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>She helped me get an internship with a fashion nonprofit in New York City called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.customcollaborative.org\/\">Custom Collaborative<\/a>. She\u2019s also connected me with a lot of people in the industry, including a past alumna that works in bridal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>She also just gives great advice. She's very, very sweet and I love her; she's definitely helped make my college experience 10 times better.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} -->\n<h4><strong>What did you learn about during your semester abroad?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I went to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ldminstitute.com\/\">Lorenzo De\u2019Medici Institute<\/a> in Florence, Italy, and I went there mainly to take my elective courses. I took the Anthropology of Fashion Design; so that's thinking about how society views fashion. I think that anyone who\u2019s pursuing any sort of design career should have an understanding of how society views your work, because that's ultimately who decides honestly, if you're going to make money or not, is the consumer.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":49971,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100256\/dc8403cc-dc13-41da-a062-3b91c8c54860-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Daryn Wilkerson (center) stands with her arms around two classmates, looking at the camera. Colorful buildings clustered tightly on the side of a cliff can be seen behind them. \" class=\"wp-image-49971\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wilkerson (center) and her classmates explore Cinque Terre, Italy. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I also took an Italian language course and I really enjoyed it as well. It was helpful for me to learn outside of just studying abroad, because in bridal specifically we use Italian fabric a lot, so it was really helpful during my bridal internship when I had to interact with Italian suppliers.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>And then I took Fashion Entrepreneurship, where we had to write a business plan and learn more about the business side. And while I do love the design aspect, understanding the business side is still really crucial. As someone who also wants to be an entrepreneur, it was really nice to go ahead and get a draft business plan written and able just to tweak it as time moves on.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} -->\n<h4><strong>What advice would you give to your first-year self?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Be more shameless about what you want, because you probably want it for a reason. That's something that Dr. Kate has very much ingrained in me is to tell me, \u201cWhy don't you just ask?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There's no problem with sending a cold email. There's no problem asking your professor a question that you may feel is dumb. You're probably asking it for a good reason.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/highlight {\"teaser\":\"Each of the seven students profiled had college experiences as diverse as their programs  of study.\",\"callToAction\":\"Learn more\",\"imageID\":50076} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight with-image\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">Related<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/celebrate-the-wilson-college-of-textiles-class-of-2023\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/celebrate-the-wilson-college-of-textiles-class-of-2023\/\"><div class=\"highlight__image-container\"><div class=\"highlight__image-background\"><img class=\"highlight__image wp-image-50076\" alt=\"Isabelle Salzmann stands in the courtyard of the Wilson College of Textiles. She wears a red windbreaker that reads &quot;Wolfpack.&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100253\/IMG_6548.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">Celebrate More Outstanding Students From Class of 2023<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">Each of the seven students profiled had college experiences as diverse as their programs  of study.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Learn <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>more&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/highlight -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The fashion design graduate developed her skills, and found valuable mentorship, over the course of her time at NC State University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":49981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"displayCategoryID\":502,\"caption\":\"\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[742,490,502,496],"tags":[487,2201,1875,600,522,2639,679,2533,570,1382],"displayCategory":{"term_id":502,"name":"Student Success","slug":"student-success","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":502,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":360,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>Daryn Wilkerson \u201923 Launches Her Bridal Design Career at the Wilson College of Textiles - 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