Seilah Quinones '27 | Fashion Merchandising Major | Internship: Fall 2025 | Presidential Fund for Equity Recipient 

Marist University’s tight-knit and supportive fashion program paired with quick access to New York City positioned Seilah perfectly for a standout internship with a luxury Italian outerwear brand, where she was able to put her coursework into practice.

Support from Marist’s Presidential Equity Fund helped make the experience with Cinzia Rocca possible.

“This internship has been incredibly hands-on; they trusted me with real responsibilities from day one,” said Seilah, a 19-year-old junior from central New Jersey. "A lot of what I’ve learned in class was exactly what I saw firsthand at Cinzia Rocca—even sometimes in the same week.”

Her main tasks included:

• Visiting top luxury retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to check on Cinzia Rocca coat displays
• Assessing how Cinzia Rocca’s inventory is selling 
• Conducting competitor analysis on trends in luxury women’s outerwear
• Handling visual merchandising ahead of showroom sales events

A standout moment for her? Acting as an exhibitor for the brand at the COTERIE trade show at the Javits Center, where she observed best practices and attended panel discussions with CEOs.

“It was overwhelming at first,” Seilah said, “but navigating the city and visiting stores on my own really helped me build confidence.”

The Presidential Equity Fund paved the way financially for Seilah to gain invaluable, hands-on experience that will make her resume stand out. She applied her award to pay for her internship credits and towards her weekly train commute to Grand Central.

“I always knew I wanted to go into fashion—it’s always been my favorite thing to learn about,” Seilah said. Now, with this hands-on internship experience under her belt, she has taken the first step toward making her dream career come true.