From left: Molly Walters, Melanie Riley, Katherine Manson, Jacqueline Dwyer, Jessica Fatherly, Deidra Arrington, Anya Rudolph, Bridget Carpenter, Justina Dambrauskaite and Yujin Jeon.

Jan. 19, 2017

Fashion students earn prestigious scholarships

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By Leila Ugincius

The Young Men’s Association Fashion Scholarship Fund awarded $50,000 to 10 Virginia Commonwealth University students at its annual gala on Jan. 12.

The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund is the premier educational fashion nonprofit in the United States. Established nearly 80 years ago to encourage talented, creative young people to pursue careers in the fashion industry, the FSF offers scholarships and comprehensive programs to the best and brightest fashion students in both business and design.

This is the VCU Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising’s second year of eligibility in the scholarship competition. This year’s winners, each a recipient of $5,000: 

  • Katherine Manson*, Merchandising sophomore
  • Jessica Fatherly*, Merchandising senior
  • Amanda Data*, Merchandising senior
  • Molly Walters, Merchandising senior
  • Justina Dambrauskaite, Merchandising senior
  • Jacqueline Dwyer, Merchandising senior
  • Anya Rudolph, Merchandising senior
  • Yujin Jeon, Merchandising junior
  • Bridget Carpenter, Merchandising junior
  • Melanie Riley, Design sophomore, Honors College member

*also a 2016 winner

Harvard, Cornell, FIT, Parsons, SCAD, Drexel and Texas A&M are among the prestigious association’s 58 member schools. VCU ranked third in the total number of winners, tied with Marist College & Kent State University. SCAD had 20 winners, while the University of Iowa had 11 winners.