Experiential learning instills in students career readiness and an entrepreneurial mindset. In fact, some of my students have gone on to work at Kendra Scott. They include Maddy Ailes, a 2022 graduate of the Textile and Apparel Program, whose team won the fall semester 2020 design competition. The team took our class topic of diversity, equity and inclusion and ran with it, designing a multi-functional pair of earrings that can be detached and worn separately as rings. Kendra Scott hired Ailes to work in product development after graduation.
“I grew up wearing Kendra Scott,” Ailes says. “My whole path to product development started with this course. The way the course is laid out—moving from consumer research to design, merchandising and marketing gave me a great understanding of real-world processes. I learned that you have to be able to communicate with people with different skills and backgrounds to be successful.”
Learning from professionals. Collaborating with a team. Getting hands-on experience with the tools and software used in industry. Developing the knowledge and skillsets that employers demand. Experiential learning offers all of this and more. And Ailes’ successful move from student to professional exemplifies what’s possible when we open young minds to new opportunities and build a school-to-career pipeline.
Read more about how we’re helping students discover their potential here.
Jessica Ciarla, Associate Professor of Instruction at UT-Austin, teaches Accessory Design, Development and Merchandising. A fashion designer and consultant with more than 14 years of industry experience, Ciarla is pursuing a PhD in sustainable fashion at Iowa State and teaches fashion courses in the Division of Textiles and Apparel and courses in the Entrepreneurship Minor at The McCombs School of Business.
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