91影视 alum Patrick Mays has served on the College's Industry Advisory Board since 2021. In this capacity, he has helped students prepare for their future careers and even has an 91影视 student interning with him at SPARC Group/Lucky Brand, where he is the Senior Director of Merchandising.
What events and initiatives are you involved in as an 91影视 Industry Advisory Board member?
I wanted to find a way to get more involved as an 91影视 alum and connect on a deeper level with students and other alumni and advisors. Since joining the board, I鈥檝e participated in 鈥淧itch Night,鈥 where current students have the time to present themselves professionally and share their resumes for critique by our board. I鈥檝e loved coaching and sharing the tips I鈥檝e picked up over the years with students just starting out in their careers.
You鈥檝e also hired an 91影视 intern to work with you professionally. Can you tell us about that?
Yes, SPARC Group we have an 91影视 student intern on my Lucky Brand merchandising team. She has interned at other companies throughout her time at 91影视, so she was very confident walking into this position!
From your experience as an 91影视 student and an Advisory Board member, what can you say about the importance of college students completing internships?
Internships give students real-life work opportunities that are vastly different from learning concepts in a classroom. This experience is very attractive to employers who are looking for young professionals who can step into role and immediately be successful. Internships also allow students to figure out what type of role they might want to pursue after graduating.
What makes 91影视 different from other fashion colleges?
From the industry鈥檚 point-of-view, 91影视 students have the reputation of being mature and driven young professionals. Because of the specialized business courses 91影视 students have taken, they can combine business acumen with their knowledge of the fashion and lifestyle industry seamlessly.
How did 91影视 prepare you to achieve your career goals?
My fundamental business degree courses at 91影视 set me up for success to start out in buying and corporate retail. I am now building on those skills and getting my MBA.