Two students from New Mexico State University were among a select group of college students from across the nation awarded scholarships by the National Retail Federation.

Hai Chau Le and Natalia Ochoa, both undergraduate students in NMSU's Fashion Merchandising and Design program, earned competitive scholarships that included all-expense paid trips to New York City to attend the NRF's annual conference and participate in its student program. The NRF is the largest retail trade association in the world.

Chau Le and Ochoa were the first students from NMSU to receive NRF scholarships and attend the conference, dubbed Retail's Big Show, a multi-day event held every January.

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

The conference took place Jan. 12-14. The event brought together more than 6,200 brands from around the world to New York City for three days of talks and networking opportunities.

In addition to the conference, Ochoa and Chau Le also participated in the NRF Foundation Student Program. The four-day program provides students a chance to explore career paths in the retail industry and meet with representatives from top brands in the United States.

"I am grateful for the experience itself and the opportunity I was given," said Ochoa, a senior who received the NRF's Bright Future Scholarship. "It is amazing the number of incredible people you meet and the fact that they were just young students like I am today. It is inspiring to see people looking to help and encourage the young generations to pursue their dreams."

Chau Le received the Ray Greenly Scholarship, which provides financial support to students pursuing a degree in fields most relevant to digital retail such as supply chain, information technology, engineering, computer science and operations management.

"My long-term career plan is to focus on fashion design and production," said Chau Le, a freshman. "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 Fashion Merchandising and Design program became a member of the NRF in 2020 to give students more opportunities to connect with industry professionals outside New Mexico, Coffeen said.

"Las Cruces is remote when it comes to the fashion industry," she said. "We have retail here, but there's a lot more to the fashion industry than retail. Our affiliation with NRF gives our students access to all the movers and shakers in the retail industry."

During the school year, students like Chau Le and Ochoa host fundraisers to maintain the program's NRF membership. The program also boasts an NRF student ambassador who's responsible for keeping fellow students informed about the organization and its many scholarship opportunities for college students. Atlee Musgrave, a sophomore, started a one-year term as NMSU's NRF student ambassador in January.

"I knew being a student ambassador for the NRF would further networking opportunities for me, but I also wanted to make the organization more well-known on campus," Musgrave said. "Retail is a more expansive sector than most people realize."

Ochoa hopes her experience with NRF helps propel her eventual career. She said she's interested in making the fashion industry more environmentally sustainable. 

"The fashion industry will always be part of human life," she said. "Therefore, 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 full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-students-earn-scholarships-from-national-retail-federation/s/0f90dd56-f5e6-4241-baed-86fd05798d50