91香蕉视频 Today followed a group of Golden Flashes for the 2023-'24 academic year chronicling their efforts and successes during the fall and spring semesters. The group included students, faculty and administrators who were in different places on their 91香蕉视频 journeys. Among those whose journeys we chronicled was fashion design major Kaleigh McGreal. You can read previous "Year with a Flash" articles about McGreal here and here. Most recently, as she prepared for graduation, McGreal shared her thoughts about her journey with an inspiring message for other 91香蕉视频 students.
After meeting with Kaleigh McGreal throughout her senior year, 91香蕉视频 Today caught up with the fashion design major a week after 91香蕉视频 University's School of Fashion鈥檚 Annual Fashion Show and about two weeks before she celebrated earning her degree at commencement.
Prior to the 2024 Annual Fashion Show in late April, much of McGreal鈥檚 runway experiences had been backstage. But this spring she had a design in the show. She had intended to be backstage but ultimately came out to watch the show.
Her parents and her grandmother were there to support her.
鈥淚 was a little antsy because I wasn鈥檛 backstage doing everything,鈥� McGreal said. 鈥淏ut it was exciting to see everything that I worked for and everything that my friends worked for actually being done and walking right in front of us. It was our satisfying moment. It was very surreal.鈥�
鈥業t Definitely Wasn鈥檛 the Typical College Experience鈥�
The Class of 2024 has been called 鈥渢he COVID Class.鈥� McGreal鈥檚 first semester at 91香蕉视频 was fall 2020, during the COVID pandemic. Even though in-person attendance was optional, she decided that she wanted to live on campus.
鈥淚t was strange,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was in my room all the time. I had one in-person class and everything else was online. There were no club activities or in-person festivals. It was hard to meet people.鈥�
McGreal chose to return home to Parma Heights for the spring semester and take classes online but not before making a key connection 鈥� meeting a fellow student who was also in the fashion program and who became one of her roommates during her sophomore year, when McGreal returned to campus.
鈥淲e would do things in person, and it was crazy,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat was the best year. It was so much fun. It was, I guess you could say 鈥榯he college experience.鈥欌€�
Studying Abroad and Away
For the first semester of her junior year, McGreal left Kent again for a semester studying at 91香蕉视频 Florence.
鈥淭hat was my first time out of the country, with one friend and two pretty random roommates, but that ended up being an amazing experience,鈥� she said.
In the spring, she was home for just three weeks before leaving for 91香蕉视频 University New York City Fashion.
鈥淭hen that was also crazy,鈥� McGreal said. 鈥淔irst time being in New York, but it was a dream of mine for fashion.鈥�
She completed three internships while in New York and stayed for the summer and even a few months into the fall semester to help New York designer Victor dE Souza with his fashion show.
For her senior year, she returned to Kent 鈥渢o wrap up everything on campus, setting myself up and working a lot on my portfolio and resume.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a crazy journey,鈥� McGreal said. 鈥淒efinitely wasn鈥檛 the typical college experience I was expecting, but it was good for me.鈥�
Coming Full Circle
Recently, a high school student who had read about McGreal in her 鈥�Year with a Flash鈥� stories on 91香蕉视频 Today visited her portfolio website and contacted her. The student was coming to 91香蕉视频 in the fall to study in the fashion program and he wanted to study at 91香蕉视频 New York Fashion.
McGreal said that the email was full of gratitude.
鈥淚t was crazy. It was surreal. Someone is reaching out to ME now, not the other way around. It鈥檚 both sides now.鈥�
What鈥檚 Next?
McGreal fell in love with New York City during her semester there and plans to return there to work in the fashion industry after graduation.
鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 applying for any type of design position, seeing where I can get interviews and get any type of experience,鈥� she said.
She sees herself pursuing the technical side of design, creating 鈥渇lats,鈥� which are technical sketches that show both sides of a garment 鈥渇lattened鈥� and detail all lines, seams, ribbing buttons and other features.
鈥淚鈥檝e kept in touch with Ann Walter [director of 91香蕉视频 University New York City Fashion], and I actually just saw her in Kent,鈥� McGreal said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 expecting me this summer. She talked about putting me in an alumni chat group so, hopefully, I can meet people there.
鈥淎nd she was like, 鈥榊ou have to come,鈥� and I was like 鈥業 will!鈥欌€�
鈥楾he Time is Now. Just Do It.鈥�
Asked if she had any advice or words of wisdom for undergraduates as they continue their journeys at 91香蕉视频, McGreal said, "Don鈥檛 overthink anything. I came into Kent not knowing how to sew or anything, I had never been out of the country, never went to New York, but I wanted to do those things, and now is the time to do what you want.鈥�
鈥淎nd it doesn鈥檛 matter if you don鈥檛 know. It will work out. I did it, and it worked out and it was amazing. Just find out what you want to do 鈥� and you don鈥檛 have to over plan it 鈥� just do it and it will work out.鈥�
And it did. Kaleigh Ann McGreal walked the stage at Spring Commencement ceremonies as a graduate of 91香蕉视频's Class of 2024.
