The American Marketing Association and the Career Center collaborated to host a networking event, the “Fashion & Beauty Industry Showcase,” Jan. 28 in Mandeville Hall. Nine panelists who work in the beauty industry, including several St. Joe’s alums, shared their professional experiences with attendees and offered advice to students interested in the industry.
Giselle Kaderabek ’26, AMA president, said the fashion industry didn’t get much exposure on campus prior to this event.
“[We] just wanted to provide a space for students to connect with alumni that are currently in the industry to obtain any advice, tips on how to break through that barrier of entry that there is,” Kaderabek said.
An increase in student interest in the fashion industry prompted the collaboration with AMA, according to Kailey Ryan, assistant director of counseling and student engagement at the Career Center. Ryan said the event was meant to support and connect interested students to alums in the beauty industry.
“If there’s an area that students want to explore more or learn more about and they may not have access to that through classes here or a specific program or major, I think it just allows them to ask the questions that they’re curious about, learn about the steps they need to take to pursue a career in that industry, even what options are available to them,” Ryan said.
Lauren Pizzi ’26, AMA vice president of professional development, said AMA contacted alums who work in companies in Philadelphia, such as Anthropologie and Free People, in order to provide perspectives from working professionals in the fashion industry.
“I just hope that this gives students the opportunity to network, meet fellow professionals, even like-minded students and hear from them, hear about what they do and just get a broader knowledge of the things that are offered,” Pizzi said.
Panelists shared their work experiences and offered advice to students who will soon be entering the professional world. Though the event was aimed at students interested in the industry, it was also helpful to soon-to-be graduates, like Delaney Russell ’26, who said she attended the event to gain a broader understanding of the options available.
“I’m graduating this spring, and I don’t have a job lined up yet,” Russell said. “I was thinking I would get some experience, and just hearing from the fashion industry, as something that is interesting to me, I thought it would be helpful to hear what their experience is.”
Lukas Kachinko ’28, who was inducted into AMA in 2025, said he attended the event to network and learn more about the marketing field.
“You don’t realize how much goes on behind in a business until you hear from different people’s perspectives and sides of the stories,” Kachinko said.
Panelist and sourcing specialist at QVC, an e-commerce retail company, Lindsey Zurn, MBA ’18, said there are important skills and mindsets necessary for soon-to-be graduates to think about.
“I would say adaptability, being open and always being willing to dive in are things that help newly graduated students but also individuals in any industry to succeed,” Zurn said.
Panelist Khalita Jarmon, a visual merchandiser at Nordstrom, said she enjoys speaking to students about her experiences as a way to “pay it forward” and share what she learned from others.
“It is hard to find people that want to help you get to where you want to go,” Jarmon said. “I think that’s why panels like this are so important because people are coming here because they want to, and they want to share their knowledge, and they want to be a resource to you.”
