Photographer: Akash Jadhav
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities was not always the first choice on my list when it came time to apply to colleges. Once I finally listened to my parents and realized that they would only assist with tuition, books, and housing at a reciprocity school, The U of M became by first choice. After visiting schools such as Stout in Wisconsin, or North Dakota State University, I made it very clear that I did not want to spend 4 years at a school in the middle of nowhere. When looking at the acceptance calculator correlating your GPA and ACT scores, I never was supposed to make it in due to my ACT score. But, low and behold, that did not end up holding me back. Although I had an academic scholarship for Stout, I knew I wanted the Big 10 experience.
Long story short the four years flew by! I also learned a lot about what I really wanted to do career wise, and what type of people I wanted to be around. Every year a roommate and I would not get along, but after speaking with other friends and peers it seemed to happen to a handful of people. In the end I found some great driven girls like Mollie and Brooke in the photo. Mollie has been to 17 countries, and the travel bug never seems to leave her! She has grown up going to Nantucket, right off of Boston to visit family. Now post graduation, she has decided that Boston is the place for her as it checks all of the boxes, and is a great hub for communications/ PR jobs. She moves in August, and I could not be more excited to have one of my best friends be with me on the east coast. Brooke is also in communications, and was able to spend a semester “abroad” at the University of Minnesota’s Sister School Kent State in New York. She interned for BCBG and loved every second of it. Now post graduation she cannot decide if she should start a career on the east or west coast. She currently is interning for the Lynx, which is Minnesota’s women’s basketball team. I pray too that she will join us on the East Coast.
Overall, it was not easy leaving the “Minnesota Nice” culture and lifestyle, but I knew it was the time in my life to make the leap to New York. Being one of six on the Retail Advisory Board, I got very close to the other board members and it always is a nice touch of home to speak with them. Entering the adult world is never easy, but we all go through it at one time and it helps to have someone beside you.
Fun Fact: The U of M posted our photo and we were seen by thousands!
My selection in dresses:
White Dress: Rachel Zoe. One of my favorite pieces I got from a sample sale.
Blue Dress: Nicholas (Luckily found this on the sales rack at work, and it was on final markdown for just a little over $100)
