June 27, 2022 – This summer, Marist College is increasing opportunity for high school students typically underrepresented in the fashion industry. Through an endowment provided by Ralph Lauren Corporation, four New York City high school students will earn full scholarships to attend pre-college classes at Marist’s campus in Poughkeepsie over the summer months. The students will come from Manhattan’s High School of Art and Design. 
 
Marist’s pre-college program is an on-campus experience that introduces high school students to the world of fashion design and merchandising. The program provides a pipeline for high school students and will give students a unique opportunity to begin their college education and to envision their fashion futures. 
 
“Marist’s Fashion Program has been widely recognized as a national leader, teaching students in a state-of-the-art, hands-on environment so close to the fashion center of the world in New York City,” said Dr. Jacqueline Reich, Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Marist. “One of our goals is to work to diversify the fashion industry at all levels: with this generous gift from Ralph Lauren, we are beginning that journey,” she said.



“Providing access to the college experience and introducing high school students who might not have this kind of opportunity is paramount to creating a more diverse student body and contributes to a more equitable fashion landscape,” said Marist Director of Fashion John Bartlett. “This partnership provides for a unique college-based learning experience for these students,” he said.
 
Over the summer, students will learn to develop their portfolio that will be submitted for college applications and will receive three college credits. They will also have the opportunity to study fashion merchandising and focus on topics such as retailing, ecommerce and trend.

About Marist’s Fashion Program
The Fashion Program at Marist prepares students to enter the world of fashion and pursue careers in merchandising, planning, product development, retailing, operations, fashion promotion, event production, and other employment opportunities. The Program falls within the School of Communication and the Arts and has been named by Forbes as one of Best Colleges That Are Shaping the Future of Fashion. With its state-of-the-art new facilities, the Steel Plant, Marist Fashion produces an annual fashion show, Silver Needle Runway, and publishes an award-winning student produced magazine, Measure, which has been named consistently as a Crown Finalist by the Columbia Scholastic Press.