Keynote speaker Sam
Edelman advises graduates to have no fear, find
mentors, and take chances
NEW
YORK, May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LIM College
held its 85th annual Commencement exercises at David
Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, on May
17 at 9 a.m. More than 430
students received master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees at
the event, which included a keynote address from visionary and
contemporary fashion pioneer Sam
Edelman.
Edelman, who is Co-Founder and CEO of Sam Edelman, a Division of Caleres, received
LIM's Distinguished Achievement Award as well as an honorary Doctor
of Commercial Science degree.
A dominant force in fashion, Edelman has made an indelible
impact on some of the most renowned footwear brands over the past
45 years, launching the footwear division for Ralph Lauren and Esprit, holding an executive
role at Candie's, and co-founding Kenneth
Cole. His eponymous fashion lifestyle brands – Sam &
Libby, Sam Edelman, and Circus NY by
Sam Edelman – reflect Edelman's
unique ability to understand customers' dynamic lifestyles.
Edelman told the graduates, "It is OK to be afraid. You are
going to be afraid as you go out into the world. If you are not
afraid, the job is not challenging enough. If you are not afraid,
you won't go anywhere; you won't learn. Fear is OK, just work
through it. You'll get really good at what you are doing and you'll
be amazed that you were nervous and scared in the beginning. You'll
learn, and soon answers will become second nature."
Stressing the importance of having mentors, Edelman advised the
graduates that, "You can have a dream and you can have an idea, but
you cannot know what to do with it or how to develop it without
mentors."
He related a lesson learned from one mentor during his career.
"I learned that fashion without marketing is not fashion. There has
to be a story. The graphic arts are sometimes as important as the
making of a garment. Talking to your consumers and understanding
your consumers is everything."
Edelman closed his remarks by encouraging graduates to take a
chance. He recounted how he and his wife Libby, after many years of
tremendous success, decided to put everything on the line to start
Sam & Libby. "We took a complete and total chance and knew that
if we failed life would be very different. In the end, Sam &
Libby became a crazy American success story. After today, you will
take a lot of chances, and I hope they will lead you to success. I
know where success comes from. It doesn't come from making money.
It comes from family, love, health, feeling good about your
decisions and finding something that makes you really, really
happy."
In his address to the Class of 2024, LIM College President
Ron Marshall quoted career
advice given by former U.S. President Barack Obama. "I agree with President Obama when
he said that it is important to be someone who 'gets stuff done' if
you want a successful career. As a CEO, I always noticed the people
who got things done, especially those who stretched out of their
comfort zones to take on things they may not have felt ready to
handle. These are the people who other successful people want to
work with."
Marshall also advised the graduates that in addition to the hard
skills and functional capabilities they learned at LIM, it is
equally important to perfect soft skills, saying, "You are
eminently qualified for the jobs that await you based on your LIM
education. Yet, you also need a set of soft skills that allow you
to get results. You can spend your entire career perfecting these
skills, which include a state of mind; an attitude that you carry
within yourself and project to others. Most important, never, ever
give up. Sometimes the solution is to just work harder."
LIM College presented its Maxwell F. Marcuse Award to
Jacqui Wenzel of the Class of
1979. Wenzel is the Founder and President of JW
Merchandising LLC. Named for LIM's founder, the Maxwell F.
Marcuse Award is the College's highest alumni honor.
Joshua Danforth from the
Class of 2005 received the Shining Star Alumni Award. Danforth is
the Senior Director of Visual Merchandising Capabilities for
Walmart. Pascal Nguyen
from the Class of 2017 received the Rising Star Alumni Award.
Nguyen is Manager of Marketing & Consumer Analytics for
Coach.
Lexie LaPlante of
Brick, NJ was the undergraduate
Class of 2024 Valedictorian. Lexie delivered her valedictory
address via video, because she was in Texas working on public relations for the
59th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. In her
senior year, Lexie completed a co-op internship in the PR and Media
department at the Academy of Country Music in Nashville, Tennessee.
Elaina Kuhni was the
undergraduate Class of 2024 Salutatorian. Originally from
Ambridge, PA, Elaina completed
LIM's fully online Bachelor of Business Administration in Fashion
Merchandising program. She finished her degree in January and has
already begun her career as an Assistant Buyer for DICK'S Sporting
Goods.
Ted Taylor, an adjunct faculty member in the Career
and Internship Services department, received the Adrian G.
Marcuse Award for Teaching Excellence. Named in honor of LIM
College's president from 1972-2002, this award is given to a
faculty member who performs in exemplary fashion in the classroom
and consistently embodies the College's core values. In addition to
teaching, Taylor has had a 30-year career in fashion and home
furnishings.
LIM College's 2024 Commencement ceremony is available for
on-demand viewing at:
https://www.limcollege.edu/commencement
About LIM College
Founded in 1939 and located in midtown Manhattan, LIM College focuses on the global
business of fashion and lifestyle. Offering master's, bachelor's,
and associate degree programs, LIM prepares students for career
success via an immersive approach grounded in real-world experience
and learning by doing through required internships. LIM College's
commitment to excellence in business education ensures graduates
are sought after by a wide range of employers, as evidenced by a
Career Outcomes Rate of 97% for the Class of 2023. Alumni excel
throughout all areas of fashion and lifestyle and have gone on to
work for companies such as Chanel, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Ross
Stores, Michael Kors, Ulta Beauty, Google, Spotify, Saks
Fifth Avenue, and The National Football League.
Contact:
Anne
Roman
anne.roman@limcollege.edu
419.708.5171
Meredith Finnin
meredith.finnin@limcollege.edu
646.218.2156
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