So by now it shouldn’t come to a surprise to anyone that I will be moving to Savannah, GA in a few months! This decision took a long time for me to come to, but I am super excited to start a new chapter there! And what am I doing there you might ask? Well, I will be pursuing my Master’s in Luxury and Fashion Management at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)!!
I had the idea of SCAD on my radar ever since a blogger friend and fellow Furman alum, Shannon from Prep Avenue, shared about her experience in the same program. I was a freshman/sophomore around this time, and I was realizing that while I loved learning about psychology (which is what my undergrad degree is in), I didn’t really want to do the typical career path for psychology (aka counseling, research, higher grad degree, etc.). I know psychology majors end up in a TON of fields, and there really is no limit to what you can do with a psych degree, but I felt this itch in me to go a different path. I tried out a few psych-related experiences including summer research in the department, but once I left to go study abroad my junior year and had a break from my psychology classes, I realized I wanted to take my career path elsewhere.
Cue junior year spring semester. I started interning at various PR and marketing firms, even interning at an event venue battling COVID-19 weddings and changes (trust me, I learned a LOT about dealing with uncertainty and flexibility through this position!). I really fell in love with public relations and events.
So back to SCAD. I got connected with Shannon and we talked on the phone for a bit about her program. I knew it was going to be a difficult process to apply, get in, and even pursue the program if I was to get accepted. I put a lot of doubt on myself in the summer before my senior year and continued that doubt into senior year. I felt that I wouldn’t be good enough to do a specialized program in a cut-throat industry like fashion and luxury. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to live post-grad, and not only was I hesitant about Savannah, I was also hesitant on where I would live after graduating with a masters. I thought that this program would force me to go to New York or LA. I was nervous I would do the program and hate it. I put off applying for a LONG time, and I told people I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I think deep down I knew that this program would be the best for me, but there was so much doubt in myself that I could actually get in and actually succeed in it.
So once I put SCAD on the backburner and left the application unfinished, I began applying to a TON of random jobs. Anything from events (which were very limited), rotational programs, merchandising, etc. The thing is, I didn’t have the experience many of these companies were looking for, and I felt that my major held me back. I knew I shouldn’t start seriously looking at jobs until spring semester, as many companies want to fill jobs immediately and don’t hire seniors until after graduation. So when January rolled around I wasn’t having much luck even in the job applications that were catered to graduating seniors, I switched gears a bit.
When talking with friends, family, etc., I always mentioned the thought of going to SCAD for the luxury and fashion management program. Everyone said it sounded right up my alley and a great fit, but I didn’t really believe it. But one day I reconnected with the admissions counselor who was reviewing my application. She let me know that if I wanted a scholarship to cover my tuition, I would need to apply within a week. So cue me scrambling to put an entire business proposal together to put in my portfolio for the application. I had never taken a business class before that semester, so I had very little clue what I was doing. I also wasn’t sure what direction to take it in, so I went with what I know: Kate Spade. I created a Kate Spade x Veuve Clicquot brand collaboration, in which Kate Spade would launch a variety of champagne themed products in Veuve Clicquot colors to celebrate the end of the pandemic. I cranked this project out over an entire weekend. Then I waited.
About two weeks later I was driving home from visiting my family and noticed an email from SCAD. I opened it, and to my surprise, I was accepted! I kept it on the down-low that I was accepted, because I still hadn’t decided what I would be doing. I kept applying to jobs, but I also let people know that I was accepted into the program and might be doing that.
I again kind of forgot about SCAD during the end of my senior year and for a few months after graduation. I applied for a few jobs but never heard back from anywhere. But the jobs I were applying for weren’t that interesting to me anyways. So I decided to make a trip down to Savannah to see if that would help my decision process (and of course we now know it did!)
I will most likely write another post once I get moved in about how to switch your intended career path in undergrad as well as deciding what is best for you, and stay tuned next week for a travel diary in Savannah. Until then, I am excited to register for classes, connect with future program classmates, prepare my move, and more!
xoxo,
Madison
