“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
– Nelson Mandela
The following are ‘pearls of wisdom‘ offered by graduates of Fashion High.
As people that have ‘been there’, they not only know the language, they have walked the same halls and sat in the same classrooms and in some instances taught by the same teachers, therefore they know YOUR language.
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Rosa Isabel Chavez – Class of ’92 – Teacher
‘Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. Enjoy every second of every minute of every hour. For these will be the best and worst days of your life of which you will remember and some times will wish you could live again, only wiser.’
Nichelle Ryan – Class of ’92 – Photographer
‘Do not sweat the small things and focus more on becoming the beautiful complex teenager that you feel no one will understand, but always remember to stay true to being the imperfectly perfect you.’
Joshua R. Blake – Class of ’12 – FIT Student and Make-Up Artist
‘Mantain a positive energy, share it with everyone, and never burn bridges. You WILL see the same people at some point during your career and or during the journey to your career.’
Elion Clemente – Class of ’12 – Buffalo State and Up and Coming Young Designer
‘Put your studies FIRST and show your talent every chance you get. Also, its o.k. to be selfish when it comes down to doing what you have to do to get ahead in life.’
Maria Silvestre – Class of ’12 – Parsons Schools of Design
‘Study your field; it’s one thing to be passionate about it, but it’s another to KNOW about it. The more skills you develop, the better designer you become (and a lot of job opportunities open up). Also know WHO is who in fashion, you don’t want to be known as a referential designer. Humble yourself, “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise”. MOST IMPORTANT RULE : listen to your teacher/mentor/professors. They are saying things from EXPERIENCE, not just to talk, they are the best ones for advice. They have once been in your shoes.’
Cortney Moore – Class of ’12 – Borough of Manhattan Community College
‘Stay focused and meet your deadlines, constant procrastination can be detrimental to your GPA. These years matter, colleges may pretend that grades aren’t the only thing that matters but it DOES play a huge factor- Schools aren’t keen on awarding scholarships to those with below an 85 average. With the cost of college always rising you WANT a scholarship. Right now I’m in the process of transferring to Hofstra University from BMCC; I definitely had to bring up my GPA to get a better scholarship. I’m a Multimedia Programming & Design major.’
Lorelle Parks – Class of ’12 – Alfred State – Culinary
‘Always stay motivated and determined to follow your dream. Never ever let people influence you to do wrong. Stay focus on your studies and enjoy it as well. Become active in as many clubs as you can. Always strive to do better than your last semester. Don’t settle for what you think is okay. It is hard work but it will all pay of at the end.’
Iyana Shepherd – Class of ’12 – Buffalo State
‘Be about what makes you happy. Don’t let any harsh critique make you think less of your work. Don’t let any harsh words make you think less of yourself. High school is just the beginning of you finding yourself and Fashion Industries is the beginning of you exposing your talent. Change is going to come but you just have to embrace it. Joining activities makes the high school years more fun and it goes by a lot quicker. Don’t lose sight of where you want to be in life because every decision you make impacts your future. “Ambition is priceless, it’s something that’s in your veins. And I doubt that ever change.”’.
Janice Checo – Class of ’12 – FIT Student – Production Management
‘H.S. are the most important years you are going to have. It is crucial that you enjoy them because before you know it they are gone. Stay focused and positive. Don’t allow procrastination take over you because once it does, it’s a disease you can’t cure. Developing a good habit of doing things on time from the beginning is going to help you in the long run; don’t leave things that can be done today for tomorrow. Develop connections with teachers and friends, you never know when you may need them in the future. Always listen to the advice that teachers and older students have to say, they are talking from experience. At the beginning it may be a hard road but remember stay positive, make friends and keep your grades up. It’s going to affect the person you are going to be and what college you will be attending in the future. Good Luck!’
Belinda David – Class of ’93 – Teacher
‘HSFI is a pretty big school in population, physical appearance, as well as the course work demands in comparison to the middle schools incoming students are coming from. My word of advice to ninth graders is not to procrastinate. Complete assignments as you receive them. Fashion High has AMAZING educators who effortlessly adopt students as their mentee’s. Find a teacher you feel comfortable with and feel free to refer to them for academic and social advice. Cheers and welcome to our school :))))’
Glenylis Pineda – Class of ’12 New York City College of Technology – Hospitality Management
‘Here’s my advice: high school is one step toward your end goal. Keep up with your work and don’t let others bring you down with them. Strive to come up on top. Be a leader and make your own decisions. Learn from your mistakes. Try to understand what is going on around you. It can help in the long run. Although I did not stay in the fashion major, I learned a lot during my 4 years. Fashion has given me the discipline and professionalism I need to succeed in my life. Enjoy these years to the fullest. Join clubs and make connections. These connections will be important for your future as a professional.’