Senior Retail Management major Faith Bonifant says that gaining industry experience has allowed her to feel confident in her choice of pursuing a fashion merchandising career.

“I've had an interest in fashion ever since I was a little girl, I always use to tell my mom I wanted to be a stylist,” Faith said.

Today Faith has dreams of owning her own fashion boutique and hopes to continue working towards that goal. With her May graduation just around the corner, Faith plans to find a full-time position in the Dallas-Forth Worth area.

Faith says she chose the College of Human Sciences for its Retail Management program, being a top destination for students to combine fashion sense with business aptitude.

“I chose to come to Texas Tech University specifically for the retail program. The professors are so knowledgeable about the retail world. They do a great job in preparing students for the real world!”

This past summer Faith landed an internship with Piper, a women's clothing store in Lubbock. Piper offers customers an eclectic and bold approach to fashion, giving its interns an exciting chance to be a part of the merchandising process.

“I loved my experience as an intern at Piper,” Faith said. “We were given the opportunity to work on every part of the store. I worked as a sales associate on the floor as well as a buyer. My boss Shara allows us to find merchandise to fill the store with. We also did the visual merchandising of the entire store.”

After completing her internship, Faith says she loved the experience and store too much to leave. The feeling was mutual, which landed Faith her current role as a Piper Girl. Piper Girls serve as brand representatives for the store through social media presence and in person promoting.

“Being a Piper Girl is such a rewarding experience,” Faith said. “Not only am I getting experience in so many different ways, I'm getting the chance to develop my personal skills as well. It is so rewarding to get to know customers and help them find outfits that make them feel comfortable and confident!”

Faith expresses that in her experience she's learned the only way she can achieve her dreams is to work hard.

“My parents blessed me with the opportunity to attend such a great university and I haven't taken that for granted. I hope to make them proud and show them that I'll be successful using what I've learned these past four years.”