The future. It is the topic I find myself speaking about the most lately, and if the words aren’t coming out of my mouth, then they’re constantly being tossed around in the back of my head.
With my graduation from Lawrence Woodmere Academy (LWA) coming up in the next few weeks, it is impossible to deny that my future isn’t so far off. At the beginning of the year, the word “future” was only synonymous with the word “college.” I didn’t see anything extending beyond the next four years of my education.
Now the word has taken on new meaning. To me, the future is 10 years down the line when I’m working, living on my own, and hopefully finding a place for myself in the world. How will I make a name for myself? How will I put all of my hard work in high school and college to good use? What will it be like to be a “grown up?”
Last week, I got the chance to meet with LWA alumni, all of whom are in the fashion and retail manufacturing business, at the school’s Career Services Roundtable. I and seven classmates gathered in New York City at Zara Zimmerman Tisch’s showroom for her clothing line, Zara Terez. Her line features brightly printed graphic apparel and accessories. She somehow makes it okay to wear leggings with chocolate chip cookies printed all over them or a hoodie covered in a Fruit Loops pattern.
As the eight of us ogled through the clothes in her showroom, sifting through an endless array of patterns ranging from glow sticks to cheeseburgers, it all seemed to make sense to me. Zimmerman doesn’t just make fun clothes; she sends a message to embrace who you are and every aspect of your individuality.