Help Seriena Attend Fashion Design Summer Program in Paris

My name is Seriena. I am a junior in High School and an aspiring seamstress and clothing designer.

I've been accepted to the Parsons Paris Summer Intensive - a program for fashion design. Now I need to raise the money for tuition and travel. Please support me to get there.

Designing and sewing clothing is an artistic passion for me! Creative designs pour through my mind into my sketches, and I can't wait to get to the fabric store to start playing with the textures and colors to bring a new creation to life.

I started sewing when I was 7 years old. By middle school I started to sew clothing, beginning with halloween costumes and custom clothing for my friends. In high school I really started to have fun when I began to make formal dresses for school dances and to sell my items at the school craft fairs. I was amazed by how successful the fairs were! This encouraged me to sew more and to start designing and making clothing as well as custom formal dresses for other students.

Last summer I opened my own Instagram store, allowing me to begin to take orders and sell my clothes online. I currently take classes, and help to teach a class for young children, with a local seamstress.

I am excited to continue to explore fashion design and business as a career path. When looking into ways to expand my experience and knowledge I found the Parsons Paris three week summer intensive program. This is an international branch of Parsons School of Design in New York City.

The thought of spending three weeks in Paris fully immersed in a fashion design program is beyond what I could have dreamed!

This rigorous program is worth 3 college credits, teaching me about the fashion design process and clothing production. It will give me a snapshot into what life is like in the design industry, and help me to create a portfolio for college applications.

The program costs:

$9,699 - Tuition and housing

$1,000 - Meals

$1,000 - Airfare

-$800 - My current savings

-$3,000 - additional pledges

= $7,899 - Total

I have until April to raise the money and pay the tuition.

When we begin to follow our dreams there are moments when we need to reach out and ask for help. For me this takes courage. I am so grateful for any support.