Six Marist Fashion Program students have been awarded $5,000 scholarships in the annual YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) competition, Marist successfully competing in a field of fashion-specific institutions and large universities, including the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Pratt Institute, SCAD, Harvard, and Cornell.  FSF is the premier non-profit fashion educational organization in the United States. 

The students competed in a case study competition in which they explored how the weaving together of digital technology with offline shopping can improve the performance of fashion retailers. Students were judged on the depth and relevance of their research, the creativity and feasibility of their ideas, and the clarity with which both were portrayed. Winning projects exemplified creative problem-solving. One student’s project was a curated collection called the Diesel Archives, which targeted Generation Z with a unisex collection of vintage and repurposed Diesel clothing from the brand’s peak years. 

Scholarship winners Katie Ahern '20, Emma Arabia '18, Gianna Bazzano '18, Madeline Dintino '20, Samantha Jablonski '18, and Ashley Werner '18, received their awards at a celebration in New York City in early January. 

So what’s next for these talented students? The winners will have summer internships organized through FSF and a mentor in the fashion industry. Senior Professional Lecturer in Fashion Jodi Hartmann, who serves as the faculty advisor to Marist’s FSF entrants, says the benefits of these awards go well beyond the coming summer. “This is a lifelong group the students will now be connected to,” said Hartmann. “FSF offers fashion students hands-on experience with the world’s top fashion companies and most influential leaders.”

In addition to Hartmann, Fashion Program faculty members Sonia Roy and Jennifer Finn also prepared students for the FSF competition. Marist students have had strong showings at these competitions over the past few years. “It’s very exciting to see our students continue to perform so well in this competition,” said Hartmann. “We couldn’t be any prouder of them.”

About Marist
Located on the banks of the historic Hudson River and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist is consistently recognized for excellence by The Princeton Review (Colleges That Create Futures and The Best 381 Colleges), U.S. News & World Report (9th Best Regional University/North), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best College Values”), and others. Though now independent, Marist remains committed to the ideals handed down from its founders, the Marist Brothers: excellence in education, a sense of community, and a commitment to service. Marist educates approximately 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,400 adult and graduate students in 47 undergraduate majors and 14 graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees. www.marist.edu