Kent State’s School of Fashion is known to produce well motivated, optimistic students who want to see success in their future. They leave Kent with internship experience and new perspectives from studying abroad, as well as a network of connections to prepare for the real world. Kent not only brings students exceptional opportunities and internships, but it also brings in various guest speakers and holds fashion shows for students to showcase their work to future employers. 

Kent State’s School of Fashion picked up lots of traffic the past few years allowing them to boast a number of rankings: the number one fashion school in the Midwest, the seventh best merchandising school in the nation and the eighth best design school in the nation. 

 I have personally learned most during my time at Kent State University from Professor Kathryn Novak. She teaches multiple different fashion lectures and labs, and takes a lot of interest in sustainability. 

Novak is invested in her students and wants them to aquire every ounce of knowledge possible. She even takes it upon herself to grow her own cellulosic fibers in her garden to give us a hands-on experience in the lab.

 I had the opportunity to sit down with Novak and get some insight on her journey, how she ended up at Kent State, but most importantly, how the fashion school changed her as a person.  

When asking Novak why Kent stood out to her and why she wanted to teach at this university she said, “I went to grad school with students from Kent and I was blown away by their work ethic. I also knew how many students were placed in their field right after graduation and felt I wanted to be part of that.” 

This provided me with a lot of comfort knowing this school shapes such well-rounded students who are happy with where their degree got them. I followed up by asking what exactly in the fashion program stood out to her the most. 

For Novak “the backgrounds of the faculty and the study away program” stand out the most to her.  “I love that I can direct students to an expert at all times and that students come back from their study away programs changed,” she said. 

Studying abroad is one of the biggest things Kent State fashion students look forward to when entering college, especially since it is a graduation requirement. Experiencing the world and seeing things with their own eyes–especially in their younger life–is very crucial to learning outside academics, and it will help students go farther in both life and their career. 

These experiences will benefit students by giving them an up close and hands-on experience with different cultures and ways of life. Not only does this look good on a resume, but it can help students to grow and mature mentally and emotionally. 

Earlier this year, Kent’s fashion program was named in Vogue as one of the best fashion schools in the country. Both students and staff take such pride in being at Kent, and being mentioned by such an esteemed publication was so rewarding. 

Above all else, Kent State’s School of Fashion is the place to be. Students and staff alike are surrounded by opportunities inside and outside the classroom, so success is easily attainable. 

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Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.