SW New Mexico News

Two students from New Mexico State University, Hai Chau Le and Natalia Ochoa, both undergraduate students in NMSU’s Fashion Merchandising and Design program, have been awarded scholarships by the National Retail Federation. The scholarships include all-expense paid trips to New York City to attend the NRF’s annual conference and participate in its student program.

According to Kelley Coffeen, an associate professor in the Fashion Merchandising and Design program at NMSU, "Hai and Natalie applied for these scholarships and competed against college students around the country – and they were both selected. It was just amazing. We’re extremely proud Hai and Natalia represented NMSU at Retail’s Big Show."

The NRF conference, known as Retail’s Big Show, brought together over 6,200 brands from around the world in New York City for three days of talks and networking opportunities. Ochoa and Chau Le also took part in the NRF Foundation Student Program, providing them with a chance to explore career paths in the retail industry and meet with representatives from top brands in the United States.

Expressing her gratitude, Ochoa, a senior who received the NRF’s Bright Future Scholarship, said, “I am grateful for the experience itself and the opportunity I was given. It is inspiring to see people looking to help and encourage the young generations to pursue their dreams.”

Chau Le, a freshman who received the Ray Greenly Scholarship, shared, “To do that well, I need to learn about the market and consumers. I believe this scholarship and this trip has helped me learn more about business and observe trends.”

Insook Ahn, an associate professor in the Fashion Merchandising and Design program, accompanied Chau Le and Ochoa to New York City. The program's affiliation with NRF aims to give students more opportunities to connect with industry professionals beyond New Mexico.

Additionally, the program boasts an NRF student ambassador, Atlee Musgrave, a sophomore, who aims to increase awareness of the organization and its scholarship opportunities among students. Musgrave stated, “Retail is a more expansive sector than most people realize.”

Looking towards the future, Ochoa aspires to contribute to making the fashion industry more environmentally sustainable, emphasizing, “We need to start buying consciously, and we need to mind our actions and our impact. I want to be part of the revolution many companies are working on to become sustainable and educate their customers on sustainability and why it all matters.”

The experiences and opportunities provided by the NRF scholarships are expected to have a lasting impact on the academic and professional pursuits of these NMSU students in the fashion industry.