“Tell me something about yourself” is a question that is frequently asked, yet often very difficult for many of us to answer. It’s become an increasingly difficult question for me to answer, as I’m involved in a wide variety of different activities, thus I often lose sight of where to begin.
This semester, Fall 2022, I’m taking my very first CORE class: English 1301. In terms of past English classes, I haven’t taken one since I was a senior in high school, which was a decade ago. By that point in my life, I hated school and particularly hated my English classes as they required a lot of reading and writing. I remember having the assignment of reading The Great Gatsby during my senior year and choosing not to read the book as it seemed too daunting of a task. Although before high school, I used to love reading! I’m very proud to say that I’ve been able to rekindle my love for reading over the past 3-4 years. I’ve also begun to enjoy writing as I regularly do so for blog posts and marketing content for my job. Due to this, I’m genuinely looking forward to taking this English class.
I’m currently enrolled at HCC in the Fashion Design, AAS program as the beginning steps towards finally achieving a longtime dream of mine: attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. Although none of the Fashion Design courses that I take at HCC will transfer to FIT, completing them has allowed me to obtain knowledge that’s necessary in order for me to create a portfolio as part of my application. Additionally, attending HCC will allow me an easier opportunity to transfer to FIT, rather than attempting to apply without prior college experience.
While this has been a longtime dream of mine, it didn’t seem attainable as a high school graduate. Back then, my parents were not going to help me pay for college, New York City is an expensive place to live, and depression clouded my overall opinion of myself. Thankfully, I’ve grown significantly as a person and also found a loving, supportive partner who encouraged me to enroll in college. Not only that, but my partner is also willing to move to New York City with me in a few years in order for me to finally achieve my dreams.
In regard to my goals for this semester, I plan to work hard and continue to achieve a 4.0 GPA. I’m also looking forward to obtaining some valuable new information and skills via my Fashion Design courses. My goals for my English class include improving my current writing abilities and learning how to properly citate information used within essays. I hope to write two or more books within my lifetime, one of which will include quite a bit of research that will require citations.
In addition to writing a few books, my life goals include creating my own fashion line in the United States as well as owning a haute couture atelier in Europe. In terms of my American line, my ultimate goal is to create sustainable clothing and help spread the word on the damages that fast fashion creates. In my opinion, the biggest global crisis that we face today is the increasing amount of waste that is destroying our planet. Unfortunately, the fashion industry has played a massive part in this crisis, most specifically those involved in the production of fast fashion items. Along with creating sustainable, long-lasting clothing, I plan to help educate the general public on why investing in quality clothing is worth it and how doing so can help save our planet. (I’ll be writing an article on this topic soon, so be sure to follow this blog to stay updated.)
“[Back then], depression had clouded my overall opinion of myself, therefore college didn’t seem like an option for me“
Bailey Reber
In the meantime, I have opened up my own online Etsy Shop where I sell handmade items that I design and create. Additionally, I find creative ways to take scrap fabric and use them to create accessories as a way to help promote sustainability. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, therefore selling my creations online while also challenging myself to find new ways to use scrap fabric has been very rewarding for me. Plus, I use the funds that I make via my Etsy Shop, Bailey’s Way Designs, to finance my college courses.
To conclude, while I’ve now told you quite a bit about myself, I regret to inform you that this is only one tiny piece of my story. I look forward to obtaining new writing skills throughout this semester to utilize as I continue to tell my story. One day, you’ll receive the remaining pieces of my remarkable story, hopefully in the form of an autobiography.
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Ready for more? Check out one of the articles below to find out more about my story!
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