Research Paper

Growing up and living a fast-paced, glamorous life seems ideal to any teenage girl. This is true for me. By the time I reach the age of twenty-five, I aspire to be a fashion merchandiser in a major city such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Manhattan, or DC. Large cities such as those usually have a large focus on fashion. The job of a fashion merchandiser is to buy clothing for clothing stores. These buyers need to have a fine understanding of business, the economy, marketing, and of course fashion. In order to obtain my goals there are steps I need to take. These steps include: finishing high school, getting accepted to and completing college, obtaining a career, and getting acclimated in which ever city I choose to work. (A. Walker, personal interview, March 17, 2013) Reaching these goals is important to me because without meeting these goals I could never have my dream job. There is a problem in African American girls reaching goals of obtaining a career. They are told they cannot go to college nor have successful careers due to the color of their skin and because it’s not common. Not much is expected from them, due to statistics, which show that a large percentage will get pregnant and/or drop out of high school, never obtaining their diploma. Some may graduate high school but will never pursue college because of fear; fear due to lack of money or support system. Under any circumstance, a college education costs huge amounts of money. Not only are there very large outlays for tuition, books, and travel, but, even more important, going to college takes a student out of the work force for four or more years. The total bite into family income and wealth can amount to $160,000 or more per student. High and always increasing college costs tend to produce much greater hardships for black families. Although, over the past two years the black student graduation rate has improved by three percentage points, the nationwide college graduation rate for black students stands at an appallingly low rate of 42 percent. This is 20 percentage points below the 62 percent rate for white students. If girls only had a great support system consisting of mentors and family members helping them to become successful, teenage African American girls would not have to be statistics. All we need is hope and encouragement, more powerful role models like Michele Obama who genuinely care and can show us that we do not have to be another statistic. In order to change the mind set of an entire group, we must start with ourselves.
The first step is completing high school. In order to pass high school, one must maintain good grades. It is not only in important to make it to senior year but to still keep that same momentum going. Even in your senior year of high school, colleges still expect students to give 110%. Prior to graduating from high school, students are obligated to acquire a certain amount of credits. For each course students pass they receive a credit. Throughout courses there are assignments, projects, and numerous amounts of homework assigned. That class work prepares the student for the tests and quizzes soon to come which determine completion of the course. Priorities during high school should be to focus on studies and school activities. Although these priorities do not seem ideal to the average teenager, who is most likely thinking about partying and making memories but, in order to succeed there is path to follow.
After graduating from high school the next step is college. A students high school career plays a large role in the type of college you’ll get accepted too. For example a well rounded straight “A” student, with high test scores is more likely to go on to an excellent college with a multiple scholarships. Whereas a student who slacks off in high school may have to play “catch up” only hoping to get accepted into a decent 2-4 school. Proceeding to attending college everyone must go through an acceptance process. Choosing a college can be crucial but with today’s technology, the process is a lot easier. Most colleges and universities require students to send a copy of his/her high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, write a personal essay, send multiple letters of recommendation, and complete in application. (USnews, n.d. College). Some schools may require an interviewing process.
Students should also do their research and apply to school which fit your criteria. Keep in mind location, average gpa, climate, average SAT or ACT scores.
Also Research what schools offer the most scholarships. For example Howard University of Washington D.C. offers many scholarships to their students. I qualify for their Legacy Scholarship. The Legacy Scholarship rewards money to students carrying on a legacy and maintained at least a 3.0 during their high school career. The scholarship grants $14,020 as long as the student maintains a 3.0 GPA throughout their semesters. How much you want to spend is also a factor. Estimated expenses for attending Howard are $27,618. The tuition is $16,075, fees: $805, books: $2,240, and room and board: $8,498. (College Prowler, n.d. Howard University). Staying well rounded and active before and during college always helps build your resume as well as networking which can play a large role in getting your dream job.
While in college get involved in an internship program. Internships are a great opportunity for students to get exposed to the reality of their future. Being a part of a program like this can put a student ahead and prepared for the future. Spending days in the life of real fashion merchandisers will show me firsthand what a regular day is like. Internships will also offer job opportunities after graduating from college. After receiving my bachelor’s in fashion merchandising I will officially begin my career as a fashion merchandiser. I will be able to start my career already having experience due to being in previous intern programs.
Not only do women of color need to grab a hold to the knowledge around them, every teenage girl does, no matter their ethnicity. As long as we follow the steps to reaching our dreams, anything is possible, and we stay clear of becoming another statistic.
In order to be a fashion merchandiser I need to complete high school, get accepted into college, and receive my bachelor’s in fashion merchandising. I will have a successful career and reach my goals because I followed the road to success. This disqualified me as being a statistic