When recent graduate Cecelia Kirk, a fashion merchandising major, first arrived on 窪蹋勛圖厙s Kent Campus in 2021, she could hardly have imagined the connection she would develop with university President Todd Diacon.
From the very beginning, Diacon extended a remarkably personal welcome, helping Kirk, a Knoxville, Tennessee, resident, and other freshmen move their belongings into their residence halls. Her mother, Melinda Kirk, was incredibly impressed by Diacons warm, personal touch.
So, when Melinda returned to Tennessee and sent Diacon a thank you email, it soon dawned on her that Diacon had been her instructor in the early 1990s at the University of Tennessee Knoxville in a Latin American Studies course.
This little coincidence is what she and Cecelia call God winks, the signs that showed them that Cecelias college choice was meant to be.
The next day, President Diacon responded.
God winks are little signs that maybe youre in the right place or youre heading in the right direction, said Cecelia, who earned a Bachelor of Science in fashioning merchandising from 窪蹋勛圖厙s highly ranked School of Fashion. It felt good to hear that [Diacon was Melindas professor] and it was comforting. Hes such a fun person to be around. Any interaction Ive had with him has been awesome.
Before arriving at 窪蹋勛圖厙, the family had been told there would be abundant resources to help Cecelia become successful. The family found that 窪蹋勛圖厙s distinctive local and global programs and deep partnerships with industry connections exceeded their expectations.
Cecelia spoke with 窪蹋勛圖厙 Today about the importance of her education abroad and extracurricular experiences.
Three Years of Invaluable Experiences
Its been a whirlwind, dynamic journey since Cecelia stepped foot on campus. In just three years she studied abroad in Florence, Italy; worked in 窪蹋勛圖厙s New York City Fashion, worked as a stylist for A Magazine, a fashion, beauty and culture publication on campus; and served on the executive board of Fashion Student Organization. She joined a sorority, participated in campus groups and made lifelong friends.
Cecelia recalls that her time in Florence was one of her favorite experiences at 窪蹋勛圖厙 because her professors had so much industry knowledge and made students feel like they were in a real-world environment with our projects.
I learned a ton there, Cecelia said of her time in Florence. They gave us plenty of time to do our own traveling and exploring. In addition to the tour opportunities, they took us to Milan to factories and we met with different designers."
Melinda said she was equally as impressed with the experiences and resources that 窪蹋勛圖厙 made available to Cecelia.
As a school counselor and as a parent, Im just as pleased as punch for her experiences at 窪蹋勛圖厙, Melinda said. I cant believe how affordable it was. She couldnt have had the success shes having without the resources and the support at 窪蹋勛圖厙.
Internships Lead to Manhattan Job
Cecelia's internships became a testament to 窪蹋勛圖厙's commitment to real-world experience. Her first summer internship with Marc Nelson Denim in Knoxville, Tennessee, offered more than just fashion training. She learned all things fashion and traveled to Florida and Chicago all the while giving back to the community.
Along the way, Melinda kept Diacon abreast of Cecelias progress. In one of the emails, Diacon spoke about the university's annual Fashion Show, noting, "I love interacting with our student designers and our student merchandising majors at that event ... and to hear where they are going after graduation...which includes employment across America and abroad."
By her third year, Cecelia decided to accelerate her studies and graduate early. While studying in New York, she served an internship in New York at Scabal, a luxury menswear and textile company based in Belgium. Cecelia is happy to report that on Jan. 6 she will begin a full-time job in Manhattan with Scabal.
Being able to use the resources and making them so accessible to us has been absolutely invaluable to me, Cecelia said. Im very thankful for Kent and the connections it has given me and all the friendships. Its a great place.