I used to think my interests had nothing to do with each other. I was a gymnast. Then a gymnastics coach. I created a magazine and fashion show for my high school. I went to FIT. I took on leadership positions. I started a swimwear brand. On paper, it can seem like I have spent my life jumping from one thing to another. It took me until a few months ago to realize that I have actually been building the same thing over and over again: spaces where women feel like they belong. In high school, that space was The Anchor Magazine and Fashion Show. I started it without knowing how large it could become. Eventually, our content reached hundreds of thousands of people, with some videos hitting one million views. What stayed with me was not the number on the screen. It was watching something that began as an idea in my head turn into something tangible that so many other people wanted to be part of. I found that feeling again through coaching competitive gymnastics. I spent more than ten years as a gymnast myself, even becoming a New York State Champion, and now I get to stand on the other side of the sport. Coaching these girls has taught me that sometimes impact happens when you aren't paying attention. It is convincing an athlete to try again after she is certain she cannot do something. It is watching confidence built inside a gym follow her into the classroom. Today, I am pursuing Fashion Business Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology while working full-time. After my first year, I switched to online classes because I needed to be able to work while remaining a full-time student. My education does not exist separately from my real life. I finish assignments around work, coach, lead, and build the business I hope will become my career: Adelphia. I began this as a swimwear company, but I do not want it to stay just a brand that sells bikinis. I am creating the community I wish existed for every girl who has ever felt like she had to choose one version of herself. And I know that girl, because I am her. I can love fashion and gymnastics. I can care about my Friday night plans and my future. I can be creative and business-oriented. I can coach young athletes, study at FIT, and build a company. Women are marketed identities and told to pick one. I want Adelphia to tell them they don't have to. My education is teaching me how to turn that belief into something real. I want to understand how to build a company strong enough to employ people, mentor young women, offer internships, and give someone her first chance in an industry that can feel impossible to enter without money or connections. As someone who works full-time to continue being a full-time student, I understand how different an "opportunity" looks when you cannot afford to take it. There are various unpaid internships offered at my school, all which I have had to simply accept that I cannot afford to participate in. When I think about the impact I want to leave, I don't picture one job title or one accomplishment. I picture a girl entering an internship at a company I built, an athlete I coached realizing she is capable of more than she thought, or a woman putting on something from Adelphia and feeling like it was made for every version of her. I have spent my life building spaces for girls without realizing it.

What gives me an advantage over other applicants is not that my path has been easier, or that I have had more resources, it is that I have learned how to make opportunities for myself when those resources were not available. I am a full-time Fashion Business Management student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, but I am also a full-time employee, entrepreneur, coach, and leader. After my first year of college, I made the decision to switch to online classes because I needed the ability to work more to support myself while continuing my education. Stepping away from the traditional college experience was not necessarily what I wanted or imagined for myself, but financially, I knew I needed to find a way to make both school and work possible. Instead of allowing the harsh reality of finances to interrupt my education, I adapted. That experience is a representation of how I approach almost everything in my life. When there is not an obvious path forward, I can and will find another one. I chose to study Fashion Business Management because I have always been interested in the intersection of creativity, business, and human connection. However, I have not waited until graduation to begin building my career. I have created my own lifestyle brand, Adelphia, where I have been able to apply what I learn about branding, marketing, consumers, merchandising, and entrepreneurship to an actual business. Each project I do in school, everything I learn, I apply it to my business. My goal is to grow Adelphia beyond the bathing suits and clothing it sells, and create a community for women who do not believe they need to fit into one box, category or version of themselves. My experience also goes beyond my own company. I have worked in social media marketing, created content that has reached hundreds of thousands of people, held leadership positions in school, and spent years coaching competitive gymnastics. Each role has taught me something different about leadership. Business has taught me how to take risks and trust my ideas. Working full-time while attending school has taught me discipline. Coaching has taught me patience and how much impact you can have on another person's life. Leadership has taught me that being ambitious does not mean succeeding alone. I believe that combination is my greatest advantage. I am not pursuing a degree because I am waiting for my life or career to begin afterward. I am pursuing it while actively building the life I want that degree to improve. I know what it feels like to have huge goals while simultaneously calculating what you can have for lunch that week, how many hours you need to work, and what sacrifices you need to make to keep moving toward them. Those experiences have made me resourceful and super motivated to create financial independence for myself. Receiving this scholarship would not just reward what I have already accomplished. It would give me something that is extremely valuable to me right now: financial breathing room. When you work full-time while attending college full-time, $500 is not insignificant. It honestly feels like a million dollars. It can cover an expense that would otherwise require hours upon hours of work. This would give me more time and energy to dedicate to my education and the future I am creating. There will always be applicants with great accomplishments, huge goals, and impressive academic records. What I can offer is evidence that when I am given an opportunity, I use it. I have learned how to work with what I have, adapt when circumstances change, and continue building even when the obstacles come in the way. I do not expect this scholarship to create my future for me, I am already creating it. This scholarship would simply help me keep on going.

Growing up in a single-parent household has made finances a never-ending consideration throughout my educational journey. College has never been something I could just attend without worrying about how I would afford it, unlike a lot of my peers. Every semester comes with seemingly endless fees, and anyone who has to go through this understands the feeling of eternal doom when opening your semester bill statement. When there is only one parent supporting a household, there is not always extra money available when the costs (expected and unexpected) appear. My first year of college was the best time I'd ever had. Going to classes in person and living on campus, I was so grateful for the experience. However, I realized that the traditional college experience was no longer financially realistic for me. I needed to be able to work much more than the few hours I could squeeze in coaching gymnastucs, while continuing my education. So ultimately I made the decision to switch to online classes. Today, I work full-time while also being a full-time student at the Fashion Institute of Technology pursuing my degree in Fashion Business Management. Balancing both is not easy. My days often start with completing assignments before (and after) work, and I have had to sacrifice parts of the traditional college experience in order to continue paying for the life that allows me to earn my degree. Some students may be able to dedicate their primary attention to school, but I, like many, have had to learn how to give my education that same attention while also trying to earn an income. There are also many opportunities college students are encouraged to pursue that become more complicated when finances have to come first. An unpaid internship is not simply an opportunity when you need to work full-time. I have sacrificed many opprotunities to advance my career in fashion for a paycheck to keep me in school. An unexpected school expense is not minor when your budget is already limited. I am grateful for the life lessons I have gotten to learn earlier than most, which is being extremely conscious of what I spend, what I save, and what I can realistically afford. At the same time, these circumstances have made me even more determined to build a different future for myself. That motivation is one of the reasons I chose Fashion Business Management. Beyond my education, I have pursued started my own lifestyle brand, Adelphia. This works because I can work on it when I have time. I hope that I can build this into a career that gives me the financial independence to make decisions based on my ambitions rather than what I can afford. My experiences have also shaped how I want to give back. As a competitive gymnastics coach, I already have the opportunity to mentor young girls. Coaching has shown me how much having someone believe in you can affect your morale and motivation to pursue hard goals. In the future, I hope to extend that impact by creating scholarships (like this one) internships, mentorship openings, and eventually jobs for young women through my career and Adelphia. I also want to help women who are ambitious but do not have the financial resources or professional connections that can make following their dreams easier. Growing up in a single-parent household has made earning my degree more challenging, but it has also made that degree mean so much more to me. I hope it will put me in a position to make someone else's path a little easier than mine.

I have never fit into just one box; I've always been curious about everything. And I do not think other women should have to either. That belief is the main reason I wanted to pursue a degree in Fashion Business Management and why I hope to be successful in my entrepreneurial endeavors. What first attracted me to business was the ability to turn an idea I am passionate about into something that creates a sense of belonging. I have always admired the way some brands become more than the products they sell. They sell an experience, create communities. I knew I wanted to learn how to create that myself. I first discovered how powerful that could be in high school, when I founded The Anchor Magazine and Fashion Show. What began as just an idea grew into something much larger than I expected, with our content reaching thousands, to millions of people online. Seeing students become excited to participate, create, and support something I had helped build showed me that I loved bringing people together around a shared vision. Students from across the globe began commenting on our videos: "How did you guys start this?" Which led to monthly zoom meetings, and other fashion magazines and shows being created among high schools nationally. That experience ultimately led me to the Fashion Institute of Technology, where I chose to study Fashion Business Management. It also gave me the confidence to start my own brand, Adelphia. Adelphia began as a swimwear brand, but my vision for it has grown into something much bigger: a lifestyle brand and community for women who do not feel the need to put themselves in one box. A woman can be smart and spontaneous, career-oriented and creative, athletic and fashionable. I want to build a brand that celebrates all of those sides of her rather than asking her to choose between them. Pursuing my degree has given me the business foundation to turn that vision into something sustainable. I am learning that creativity alone does not build a successful company. Understanding the backend of merchandising, marketing, consumers, finances, and supply chain is what allows an idea to grow into a real working business. Getting my degree will also have a significant impact on my own life. Coming from a low-income, single-parent household has made me especially aware of the importance of creating financial independence and stability for myself. College is a huge investment that requires sacrifice, and I would not have the opprotunity to continue it without assistance. However, I see my education as a way to create opportunities that go far beyond my first job after graduation. My goal is not just to have a successful career, but eventually to create these opportunities for other people through the businesses and communities I build. I chose this career path because I want to create things that matter. Whether I am growing Adelphia or making something I have not even thought about yet, I want my career to be made up of community, creativity, and impact. Receiving my degree would give me the knowledge and credibility to take the ideas that I already have and build them into something with a long lasting impact.

My passion for sales and marketing comes from my desire not just to build brands, but to build communities. While many people think of marketing as selling a product, I see it as selling a community that people genuinely want to be a part of. The brands that have always inspired me are the ones that represent a lifestyle and make people feel like they belong. That idea is what led me to pursue a bachelor's degree in Fashion Business Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology and inspired me to launch my own clothing and swimwear brand, Adelphia. Adelphia was founded on the belief that women should never feel pressured to fit into one box. As someone who has always loved both fashion and gymnastics, I often felt like people expected me to choose one. I could be athletic or creative, ambitious or social, but not all of those things at the same time. With building my brand Adelphia, I want to change that mindset and create a community where women feel confident tapping into every side of themselves. They can love to work out and be into fashion, spend a Saturday at the beach and a Sunday building their careers, or pursue any combination of passions without feeling like they have to explain themselves. That mission is what inspires my interest in marketing. I love seeing how brands can bring people together around the same type of mindset and create a feeling that envokes a sense of belonging. To me, successful marketing is not convincing someone to buy something, instead it is creating a brand that people genuinely connect with because it reflects who they are and what they believe in. My idea is for Adelphia to become more than a clothing and swimwear brand. I want it to become a lifestyle brand that reminds women they don't have to change who they are. Before launching Adelphia, I founded The Anchor Magazine and Fashion Show at my high school, which unexpectedly went viral on TikTok. That experience showed me the power of branding and understanding an audience. The on-trend content I would create ended up bringing together students across the globe with one similarity, an interest in fashion. I had unexpectedly created an interconeccted web of Fashion clubs across the county, which I helped them start. It was the first time I realized that thoughtful marketing could create excitement, bring people together, and create a community that inspires others to become part of something larger than themselves. Reading about Neal Hartl resonated with me because he built his career by connecting with people and earning their trust. That is the kind of entrepreneur I hope to become. Whether I am working with customers, factories, or future business partners, I want every relationship to be built on being true to me, respect, and shared values. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue my education at FIT while growing Adelphia into the lifestyle brand I hope for it to be. I believe that is the most meaningful form of marketing: creating something that makes people feel like they belong exactly as they come.

Reading about Kalia D. Davis reminded me that success is measured by much more than just what you have achieved. Kalia was known for her work ethic, ambition, kindness, and willingness to encourage those around her. Those are qualities I hope to embody every day, and they have created a foundation for both my educational journey and the goals I have for my future career. I am currently entering my senior year at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in Fashion Business Management. Throughout college, I have worked to balance academics with entrepreneurship, leadership, and coaching gymnastics. Even though these responsibilities can be demanding, they have shown me what discipline, resilience, and the importance of giving my full effort to everything I pursue is. This past spring, I launched Adelphia, a women's clothing and swimwear brand inspired by my belief that women should feel confident embracing every part of who they are. As someone who has always loved both fashion and athletics, I often felt that people expected me to choose one identity over the other. Adelphia was created to help women celebrate every side of themselves without feeling pressured to fit into one stereotype. Building the brand has challenged me to learn branding, product development, sourcing, marketing, e-commerce, and business management while pursuing a belief that is meaningful to me. Like Kalia, athletics have played a defining role in my life. I spent over a decade as a competitive gymnast and became a New York State Champion. Gymnastics taught me perseverance, how to take costructive critisism, and the value of hard work long before I entered college. Today, I have the opportunity to pass those lessons on as a competitive gymnastics coach. I hope to create the kind of environment where young athletes feel encouraged, respected, and confident in themselves because I know how influential a coach can be in a young child's life. Kalia was remembered not only for her accomplishments but also for the way she uplifted others. That is the kind of legacy I hope to build as well. Whether I am coaching a gymnast or creating a brand that encourages women to embrace every part of who they are, I want people to leave feeling more confident than before they met me. Receiving this scholarship would help ease the financial burden of completing my degree while allowing me to continue investing in Adelphia and pursuing opportunities to give back through coaching and leadership. More importantly, it would allow me to continue building a future rooted in the same values Kalia exemplified: hard work, ambition, kindness, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others.

My educational did not begin in a traditional classroom, it began in a gym. Growing up, I was always knew I was drawn to creativity, but I also learned the value of discipline through competitive gymnastics. Spending over a decade in the gym taught me how to persevere through setbacks, manage my time, take constructive criticism, and work toward long-term goals even when progress felt like it was moving backward. Those lessons I learned in this sport have carried over into every aspect of my life. My high school years were when I brought my creative side to life. I went to a relatively large high school in Lagrangeville, New York. So, during my junior year, I founded a fashion magazine club that went viral on TikTok. We called it the Anchor, and it was an outlet for all students to participate, with a role for everyone. We had football players modeling, art students styling, English teachers allowing article writing to be extra credit; everyone was involved. We even hosted two fashion shows. This was the very project that got me into my dream school in NYC, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). After graduating high school, I enrolled at FIT to pursue a degree in Fashion Business Management. I have balanced coursework and entrepreneurship with coaching competitive gymnastics to afford city-living. Juggling these responsibilities has not always been easy, but each experience has strengthened my work ethic and reinforced my belief that meaningful goals require consistency and determination. This past spring, I founded Adelphia, a women's clothing and swimwear brand inspired by my own experiences. As someone who has always loved both fashion and athletics, I often felt that people expected me to fit into one category. Adelphia was created to challenge that mindset by encouraging women to embrace every part of who they are without feeling pressured to fit into a single box. Building the brand has given me hands-on experience in branding, product development, sourcing, marketing, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship while allowing me to turn a personal mission into something that can positively impact others. Like many college students, I have also faced the financial realities of pursuing higher education while trying to build a future. Between tuition, living expenses, and investing in a new business, there are constant financial strains that require sacrifice. Rather than allowing those challenges to discourage me, they have motivated me to work harder, seek opportunities, and continue investing in my education because I know it is the foundation for the career I hope have. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial burden of completing my degree and allow me to dedicate more time and resources to both my education and Adelphia. Every experience throughout my educational journey has reinforced that success is not defined by one achievement but by the positive impact you leave on others. That is the future I am working toward, and this scholarship would help me take the next step in making it a reality.

My goal is to "build" my clothing and swimwear brand, Adelphia, into a company that doesn't just sell clothing, but empowers women and makes a lasting impact on the fashion industry. Adelphia is more than just a women's apparel and swimwear brand, it is an extension of me. I began Adelphia in the spring of my junior year, believing that clothing should empower women to feel confident in embracing every part of who they are. As someone who has always been passionate about both fashion AND gymnastics, I have firsthand experience in the fact that people usually assume your interests have to fit into a certain category. In reality, I love being creative through fashion while also being involved in gymnastics and being active. Those passions don't have to compete with each other. Instead, they make me who I am. Through Adelphia, I hope to encourage women to feel comfortable embracing all of their interests and qualities, whether that means being ambitious and social, athletic and artistic, or creative and business-oriented. No one should feel pressured to fit into a single box or choose just one version of themselves. As my tagline says, Adelphia is "for the girls that can do both." Rather than focusing solely on selling clothing, my goal is to build a community where women encourage one another, celebrate each other's accomplishments, and feel confident embracing their individuality without fear of judgment. I hope to do this by creating a brand that extends beyond the products themselves. Through social media, events, influencers and our campus program "Adelphia University," I hope to put an emphasis on women with different backgrounds, interests, and lifestyles. Instead of promoting one definition of confidence or beauty, I want Adelphia to showcase women who are simply themselves. Building Adelphia has required me to take on many roles. From creating collections and branding strategies to sourcing manufacturers, building and coding an e-commerce website, managing marketing campaigns, finances and creating social media content, I have gained firsthand experience in almost every aspect of launching a fashion business. Each new challenge has made my problem-solving skills, creativity, and determination better while growing my passion for entrepreneurship. My education at the Fashion Institute of Technology has brought me the knowledge and resources to take Adelphia from an idea into a growing business. The lessons I learn in school directly translate into the choices I make as a business owner, letting me approach fashion not just as a creative endeavor but also from a business perspective. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to continue investing in both my education and my business while working toward my long-term goal of building a brand that empowers women. For me, Adelphia is not just about clothing. It is about creating a space where women like me are reminded that they never have to fit into someone else's expectations. They can define success, confidence, beauty, and identity on their own, and I hope Adelphia helps them to do exactly that.

What constitutes a legacy is not an award or a title. A legacy is a creation that lasts based on its purpose. My intention with my legacy is to create work that carefully brings together creativity, culture, and connection while valuing all individuals involved as much as the concepts being brought to life. The Archive, my online secondhand clothing business, has been a small resale project for many years, but it has progressed from that point in to become a much bigger, more creative endeavour. My goal with the Archive is to provide opprotunities to other students interested in fashion, business, marketing, modeling, etc. while supporting sustainability. By having fellow students get the chance to take on differnet roles throughout photoshoots and other hands-on opprotunities, they're gaining real-life experience in the business while I am able to grow my brand. In order to build and operate a successful business, I have acquired skills in marketing, branding, trend research, and brand-storytelling along the well. In the future years, I hope for The Archive to become an even larger creative platform that allows me to grow and collaborate with more students on various activities, such as working together on fashion, marketing & photography, styling & editorial production. I see The Archive being an avenue for students to gain hands-on experience outside of school, while also building a portfolio and feeling confident when they contribute ideas to a real brand. Creating opportunities for others is a fundamental part of the legacy I hope to create. After essentially doing this in high school with the magazine my friends and I created and went viral for (@theanchormag), I have gained most neccessary skills to bring this to fruition post-graduation. I hope to provide similar opprotunities to students the same way that magazine did, but in the context of a credible business, giving credible experience. Leading with empathy and helping to uplift people is the way I shine my light. As a current gymnastics coach, creative leader and business owner, I am a person who recognizes small details, helps to nurture growth and creates environments for people to feel they are valued. My creativity is the result of my personal expression as well as my relationship with those around me, and I use it to help create a sense of community, inspire others through mentoring and provide opportunities for people to come together through shared interests and goals. Overall, the legacy I hope to create is one of care: care for creativity, and people. Through The Archive and future ventures, I want to prove that business can be both impactful, ethical, and educational, and that when creativity is coupled with strategy and care, it can leave a lasting legacy.

My name is Angelina Galanopouolos, and I am currently an undergraduate student majoring in Fashion Business Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where I focus on fashion branding, marketing, and digital media. My journey began in high school when I co-founded and directed a student-run fashion magazine called The Anchor. What started as a creative outlet quickly evolved into a nationally recognized digital brand. We produced print and online issues, hosted fashion shows, thrift shops, workshop events, and built an online presence that gained millions of views and engagement from companies like Microsoft and Welch’s. As the person managing our social media, I was deeply involved in creating digital content such as short videos, graphics, and behind-the-scenes clips and edits that were on trend and that brought people into our world. I discovered that digital marketing is not just about getting views. It is about building a real, meaningful connection with the viewers. That realization turned what began as a school project into the foundation for my future career. Like Brandon, I believe in the power of using digital tools to reach people and inspire others, especially young creatives. Because of our online presence, I hosted Zoom sessions and created digital resources for students at other high schools who wanted to build their own fashion magazines and media projects. We formed a wide community of student-led fashion clubs across the country. Brandon’s words, “I show the youth if you put your mind to it, it will happen,” resonate deeply with me because I witnessed that kind of impact through The Anchor. With everyone from football players to theatre kids involved, and people from Oregon to Colorado and New York joining in on Zoom, thanks to our digital marketing and tools, we were able to create so many meaningful connections across the country. Moving forward, my long-term goal is to continue to build my fashion and lifestyle brand, The Archive, that uses digital marketing to promote and sell sustainable secondhand clothing, while also creating opportunities for students to gain experience by helping produce the brand’s digital catalog, carrying on the legacy of where it all started for me: with the Anchor Magazine. This scholarship would support my continued education and help me stay focused on pursuing my goals with less financial burden, while honoring Brandon’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit. I hope to carry his legacy with me by using digital marketing as a tool to inspire, uplift, and create opportunities for other creatives.

My passion for marketing and sales started when I co-led and started a student-run fashion magazine at my high school. What began as a creative venture quickly became a real-world lesson in branding, interpersonal skills, and leadership. Getting together student photographers, writers, stylists, and models for both print and digital releases took more than just being a creative. This took strategy, organization, and an ability to sell a vision. I learned that marketing is NOT just about products, it’s about storytelling and community. That realization is what inspired me to pursue this career path. Our organization had no formal funding, so we had to promote ourselves relentlessly on social media, around school, and within the local community. I managed the social media, and we ended accummilating a large following and millions of views and viral videos within our first year. With everyone from Microsoft to Welch's commenting, we had reached the nation. With that came great connections. I coordinated zoom meetings with students from other schools that we met VIA our virality, all of which wished to create something similar at their schools. Soon not only was I selling a tangible product (a magazine), an experience (a fashion show), but I started selling knowledge, hosting online information sessions and creating online resources. Soon an online community of high school fashion clubs across the nation were born- all beacuse of The Anchor Magazine at Arlington High School. As director and co-founder, I was also responsible for developing messaging and content, coordinating events like launch parties and fashion shows, and building excitement around each event. We weren’t just publishing a magazine, we were creating a brand. And I loved every moment of it! I made lifelong friends, brought together unlikely people, everyone from football players to theatre kids were involved. It taught me how to connect with people, build trust, and sell a product, experience, and knowledge that people wanted, which are the same skills that make great marketers and salespeople successful. What draws me to this industry in particular is its unique blend of strategy and human connection. I want to help brands, especially those led by underrepresented voices, tell their stories, grow their audiences, and be successful. Neal Hartl’s legacy as a dedicated, passionate sales professional who built lasting relationships resonates deeply with me. I admire how he used his role not just to sell, but to help people, and that’s the kind of impact I want to make through my own career. Like Neal, I’m also from Upstate New York, and I feel a strong connection to his story and values. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Business Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology. This scholarship would allow me to continue my education with less financial hardship, while bringing along the values that Neal stood for: dedication, authenticity, and heart.

I chose my career path in Fashion Business Management as someone who is looking to have the ability to take action within their community and provide a beneficial service. Fashion has always been more than just clothing to me. I see it as a powerful form of expression and creativity. My passion for fashion, combined with my experience in business and management, led me to pursue a degree in Fashion Business Management. This field gives me the opportunity to merge my creative side with my analytical side. My decision to pursue this career path was shaped by my own experience in fashion and business. In high school, I created The Anchor, a student-run fashion magazine at Arlington High School in Lagrangeville, New York. Here, we created monthly publications, posted to our thousands of followers thanks to our viral posts, hosted three successful fashion shows, and held various thrifting events. I gained firsthand experience in inventory management, marketing, trend forecasting, writing, large group management, human resources, public relations, and so much more. These experiences solidified my understanding of telling a story through your brand, keeping customers engaged, and ensuring operations run smoothly. I hope that after earning my degree, I can not only return to my school to provide knowledge and information to these students who may not know what their next step is just like I didn't, but schools all over. Beyond fashion, I grew up in a small gymnastics gym that was a family-run business, and it became like a second home to me. After my school's fashion magazine club ended at 3:15, I found myself heading to the gym. This upbringing shaped my work ethic and passion for movement. Now, I work for that same gym I grew up in as well as another in New York City, not only because gymnastics is something I really enjoy, but also as a way to try to help fund my education so that I can continue to help students with the same passions as me. Through these experiences, I’ve come to see that both gymnastics and fashion are ways to express yourself. Both require hard work, creativity, and telling a story. Whether it's choreographing a floor routine or creating a fashion design, both let individuals to express themselves in whatever way they wish. Earning a Bachelor's in Fashion Business Management will be life-changing for me. It will provide me with the boundless knowledge available at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the credentials to succeed in an industry that is so competitive. It will also give me the financial stability and connections necessary to work toward my long-term goal of opening a gymnastics and dance studio and also workshopping fashion at schools, taking my business knowledge and using it to serve my community in a whole other way. This degree is not just about my education. This degree is about educating the children of our future. It will help me take a step forward into my future, where I can make a lasting impact in both the fashion world and in fitness.

As a child, I was deeply inspired by the fearlessness and individualism of creatives, seeing in their work a reflection of the importance I find in the idea of individuality. Fashion, to me, is a form of art that unifies communities and celebrates uniqueness. This passion has been a driving force since childhood, starting with the founding of The Anchor Magazine in November 2021. This endeavor was the creation of my school's first-ever fashion magazine, racking up significant engagement with thousands of reads per issue. The magazine's success went beyond its pages, becoming a unifying force within the school community, the pages of magazine becoming a canvas for student talent and creativity. Leading this group taught me valuable lessons in leadership. While creativity was important, it was the ability to take and incorporate feedback constructively that truly made us successful. This experience helped me harness skills in communication, adaptability, and effective leadership, qualities I continue to improve on. Managing The Anchor's social media presence, including TikTok and Instagram, further expanded my tool belt. Our TikTok account gained viral traction, sparking interest from MILLIONS of students nationwide. This led to me creating a "How To" document, sharing it with aspiring magazine creators, and creating a nationwide network of students interested in this field. As The Anchor's popularity grew, I organized our first fashion show, a complex journey that tested my organizational skills. The success of this event prompted me to consider its long-term impact, leading to the creation of a new elective course, "The Business of Publishing," at my high school. I wrote the syllabus, and my supervisor presented it to the Board of Education. Soon enough, it was approved. This course provides students with a platform to embrace their creativity and prepare for careers in the real world. Looking ahead, I hope to create a lasting legacy by continuing to promote creativity, individuality, and community through fashion. Through my brand, The Archive, I am already taking steps in the door of the fashion industry by offering curated second-hand clothing that promotes sustainability and self-expression, while also providing a monthly catalog run by students- allowing them to gain industry experience and expand their portfolio. I envision expanding this brand into a platform that supports emerging fashion enthusiasts and prioritizes sustainability. I shine my light by supporting change and innovation in the fashion industry. Whether through my work with The Archive or future endeavors, I hope to push others to embrace their individuality and make a positive impact on the world.

With a passion for fashion in highschool (which later led me to FIT in New York) and limited fashion opportunities available I knew I needed to take action, and in November of 2021, The Anchor Magazine was born. My friend and I co-founded my school’s first-ever fashion magazine. We published digitally each month racking up to a thousand reads per issue. The entire school community became involved- students, teachers, and administration- modeling for The Anchor became a rite of passage at our school. By using the skills I had, and being open to improving, I found a purpose and passion in helping others be their best and find THEIR passion and purpose. My undertakings included the leadership tasks that came with running an organization, and to be honest- as a 16-year-old I had no idea what I was really doing. But, with an open mind and a "fake it 'till you make it" attitude, I found myself at the helm of a 150+ member school club that turned viral at the age of 16. Leading a group like this, I thought the most important task would be leading creatively. However, that isn't what made me succeed. In truth, the feedback of the members and my proficiency in using feedback constructively made us more prosperous. Bringing this into a discussion, communicating with necessary parties, and incorporating these elements into action made this magazine successful. In this role, I constantly mastered new skills, learned how to deal with new experiences as a leader, and comprehended how to be the most effective and inspiring I could be. But, this did not stop at just MY school. Running all of our social media accounts was another one of my roles. In February of 2021, our TikTok account received nearly half a million views. “DMs” and comments came flooding in: “I wish my school had this!” “How'd you start this?” What had I started? I created a nationwide community of highschool magazines. I got to work creating a “How To” document to share on our social media accounts with these students so that creative outlets and portfolio-building organizations that help students become career-ready could be available nationwide. I built connections with these new magazines, and we helped each other grow. Writers from school publications across the nation wrote articles for us. This magazine was made with creative students nationwide. As our first year ended, I knew I had to take this further, so I planned our first-ever fashion show. The tasks were endless- rehearsals, model castings, fittings, finding/ coordinating with designers, seeking sponsors, budgeting- not to mention creating my 10-outfit collection by hand. As the “post-show blues” faded, a new question became very clear: “How can I preserve the longevity of this opportunity for future students?” With the intention of making this a permanent opportunity, I got talking with my supervisor and her colleague about the technicalities of creating a new course. After getting the green light from them both, I got to work creating a syllabus for a brand new class at our high school. “The Business of Publishing” is exactly the class I wish I had my junior year. After the class was presented to our administration, it was approved. It is another elective class, but most importantly it provides an outlet for students to embrace their individuality and create content to prepare them for real-world careers. Now leaving this behind, as a student at FIT, I hope to prepare myself for my future career and learn how to implement my values in the business world through the fashion business management program.

My Name is Angelina Galanopoulos, and I am currently an 18-year-old freshman attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in NYC, studying Fashion Business Management. In high school, I truly unlocked my passion for fashion. I took all three fashion classes my high school had. But by the time junior year came, there weren't any more for me to take. With limited fashion opportunities available I needed to take action. In November of 2021, The Anchor Magazine was born. My friend and I co-founded my school’s first-ever fashion magazine. We published digitally each month gaining thousand reads per issue, and got recognized by one of our viral role models, FIT alumni, Kate Bartlett. The entire school community became involved- students, teachers, and administration- modeling for The Anchor became a rite of passage. My other undertakings included the leadership tasks that came with running an organization. Being at the helm of a group of this sort, I thought that the most important task would be leading creatively. However, that is not what made us succeed. In truth, the feedback and suggestions of the magazine members and the proficiency for me to take and use feedback constructively made us prosperous. Bringing these proposals into a discussion, communicating them with necessary parties, and incorporating these elements into action made this magazine as great as it was. This role gave me an opportunity to constantly master new skills, learn how to manage new experiences and learn how to be the most effective and engaging leader possible. Running all of our social media accounts was another one of my roles. In February of 2021, our TikTok account received nearly half a million views. “DMs” and comments came flooding in: “I wish my school had this!” “How did you start this?” What had I started? This was bigger than just my school... I assisted schools nationwide in creating their own magazines. Now with a nationwide community of high school magazines at my fingertips, I built connections, and we helped each other grow. As the magazine grew in popularity and our first year ended, I knew that I had to take this a step further. I began planning our magazine’s first-ever fashion show. The tasks were endless- organizing rehearsals, creating objectives, hosting a model casting, finding and coordinating with designers, seeking sponsors, budgeting- not to mention creating and designing my 10-outfit collection. Delegating and managing the various objectives to our many “departments” made this more efficient. As the “post-show blues” faded, a new question became very clear- “How can I preserve the longevity of this opportunity for future students?” To make this a permanent opportunity, I spoke with my supervisor about the technicalities of creating a new course, and I started creating a syllabus for a new class at our high school. “The Business of Publishing” is exactly the class I wish I had my junior year. After it was presented to our administration, it was approved. This class is an outlet for students to embrace their individuality and create content to prepare them for real-world careers. Now leaving this behind, as a student at FIT, I hope to continue to be guided in running my own business- The Archive. The Archive is an online/in-person pop-up second-hand clothing store with a student-run magazine/catalog to showcase unique styles and trends and allow a space for students to gain industry experience whilst expanding their portfolios in various areas including writing, modeling, photography, and more. My dream would be to continue my education in business to be able to gain insights to successfully expand and manage this brand concept.

For me, sales and marketing are not just fields of study or career paths. In fact in my world, these are opportunities for creative expression, trend analysis, as well as audience engagement that deeply align with my passions, values, and talents. For this reason, I find myself pursuing a career in business marketing and management. My journey into this world began in high school, where I found myself at the lead of various marketing tasks that shaped my career dreams. My main moment during this time was creating our school's fashion magazine. Leading this project meant not only involved curating online content, but went deeper than a simple TikTok or Reel ad. It involved researching trends, creating online and in-person marketing initiatives, and lots of trial and error in pushing the magazine's visibility. Through this journey, I found myself racking up millions of views, hundreds of thousands of likes, followers, and recognition from fashion influencers. This later caught the attention of other schools globally who wished to start their own high school fashion magazines, and before I knew it I had created a network of student organizations globally. In highschool I had discovered in me a talent for marketing and an enjoyment in finding creative ways to grab an audience's attention. On a similar note, my role as the marketing manager for my high school's football team further solidified my love for this career path. Creating ways to promote games, engage the community, and highlight the players talents helped me find new creative ways outside the world of fashion where trends and creativity intersect to create an impact. My participation in dual enrollment marketing and business courses also assisted me on this endeavor. What sets me apart in marketing is my belief in the combination of traditional and digital marketing. While the digital landscape is inevitably ever-evolving, so is the world’s longing for nostalgia and the past. In a post-covid world, it is easy to see how the world around us can shut down in the blink of an eye. For this reason, I value the enduring impact of print media- it will never go out of style. My vision for the future of marketing involves blending these seamlessly, taking full advantage of the potential of the digital world, while also taking into account the relentless presence of print media. With both of these mediums and creativity in hand, I can see myself being successful in the world of marketing.