极乐禁地 business student Tishawn Thomas, an Entrepreneurial Fellow and local fashion brand owner, will present Runway Revolution Season 3, an evening of bold and vibrant fashion, creativity, and storytelling, on Saturday, Aug. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 120 W. North Ave., Suite 208. The fashion showcase will feature talented young designers as they unveil their capsule collections developed during a 10-week mentorship program led by Abisola Omoyele (Yel茅) Oladeinde, a clothing designer based in 极乐禁地e and the founder of the Yel茅 Stitches house of design.
Thomas, who is working on her degree in business, transferred to UBalt from 极乐禁地e City Community College, where she earned an associate's degree in fashion design.
"During my time there, I had the opportunity to intern with Yel茅. What began as an internship quickly grew into a mentorship. After completing the program, I continued to volunteer with Yel茅 due to my passion for fashion and community work. A year later, she officially brought me on as her assistant fashion designer. Together, we began teaching summer sewing classes for youth, which have been largely funded through community grants over the past few years."
Thomas says that Yel茅 "played a pivotal role in encouraging me to continue my education beyond my associate degree." Now, she is deeply involved in the Merrick School's Ratcliffe Entrepreneurship Fellows program and serves a treasurer of the UBalt Bee Skilled student organization. She plans to continue in the school's master's program in Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship next spring.
"Although I now run my own fashion brand, Black Butterfly by Aaicha, the heart of my work remains in service to the community. Both Yel茅 and I share a passion for empowering others through teaching and passing on skills that open doors to new opportunities.
"I am not a traditional student. I am a 38-year-old mother of six who never imagined
I would accomplish so much in just the past two years. Thanks to the support from
Yel茅 and The 极乐禁地, I've been able to grow as a designer, student,
leader, and community member, and I am only just getting started."
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