In this blog post, I’ll summarize the efforts I put into my studies during high school, my participation in school activities, my experiences with consideration and collaboration, and my career preparation process.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I had long been interested in and studied art, with a particular passion for fiber art. While taking separate fiber art classes at an art academy, I realized that fashion design was a better fit for my aptitude. Through my school activities, I discovered that I was more drawn to modern and trendy projects, which led me to decide to switch my career path from a fine arts major to a fashion design major.
To prepare for college, I studied diligently while focusing particularly on subjects that interested me most. I was very interested in economics, so I devoted time to examining economic phenomena, the flow of resources, and the roles of products and companies. By developing the habit of reading economic newspapers, clipping articles that resonated with me, and jotting down my thoughts, I was able to set a specific career goal: to become a merchandiser who plans and sells fashion products after entering the Department of Apparel Design.
In addition to economics, I actively participated in art and music classes. The arts and performing arts courses served as a starting point for my creative ideas; classical music inspired my product designs, while popular music sparked my interest in stage costumes. Since art assessments were often based on free themes and materials, I had many opportunities to express myself through textile art. Additionally, having teachers at my school with experience in the apparel and fashion fields was a great help in deciding my career path.
Description of Major School Activities and Reflections
Although our school had an art club, there was no fashion club. Since there weren’t many students interested in fashion, it was difficult to establish one right away. Thinking that it would be better to create a need myself rather than engage in meaningless activities, I posted a recruitment notice for a fashion club on the school’s bulletin board. Along with our activity plan, I specifically outlined the type of students we were looking for.
Just one week after posting, a student from another class reached out. After introducing themselves as someone skilled in Photoshop and Illustrator, we quickly agreed to start the club together. We then had one month until the club application deadline to recruit at least 15 members, so we needed to promote the club strategically within that limited timeframe.
We created posters to put up on each class bulletin board and clearly defined our activity plan. We decided to regularly take street photos, alter and create clothing, and share the creative process on social media. While it would have been great to have people skilled in altering and creating clothes, we agreed to teach each other the skills we lacked, and we separately recruited students who enjoyed managing social media to handle the content.
We attracted a diverse group of applicants—from students skilled in blogging and photo editing to those who loved styling, enjoyed upcycling school uniforms, and were aiming for fashion-related majors—with 10 students applying initially. To fill the remaining spots, we asked our art teacher to help with additional recruitment during class time, and with the teacher’s assistance, we were ultimately able to gather over 20 members and officially launch the club. Since we had come together around a shared new interest, our passion and sense of responsibility were strong, which made us a great help to one another.
Writing about examples of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, along with my reflections
To generate revenue for the club during the school festival, we planned a custom market. During a meeting, the members unanimously proposed selling upcycled products, and I was confident in my ability to customize—the process of repurposing ready-made items to create new fashion. I believed that transforming old clothes or basic solid-colored items into trendy pieces would result in highly appealing products.
The club room was equipped with all the necessary tools, such as sewing machines and cutting tools, and I even had a mannequin I’d made myself, so we didn’t face any major difficulties with the upcycling work. New members also showed interest in upcycling, actively seeking out information and teaching each other, which convinced me this was a perfect fit for the festival.
Ultimately, we decided to make and sell the products right at our booth.
We divided the roughly twenty club members into four teams and assigned each team a specific category. My team was in charge of repurposing ready-to-wear clothing, while the other teams handled shoe remodeling, basic fashion item repurposing, and booth construction, respectively. We prepared by using white T-shirts and white sneakers as base materials and repurposing them according to each team’s ideas.
After collaborating as a team, we created stylish products that anyone would want to own. On the day of the festival, the response was so overwhelming—with students lining up to buy them—that we actually ran out of stock. Through this experience, I deeply felt the joy of working together by dividing roles and the satisfaction of creating meaningful results by pooling our individual talents.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I had a special affection for the fashion club I founded myself, and many of the friends who started it with me often centered their school lives around club activities. Even outside of scheduled club hours, we would gather in the club room whenever we had a chance to bond and nurture our dreams; we even promised to enroll in the apparel design department at the same university and start another club together.
However, when we entered our senior year of high school, we faced the problem of dwindling participation due to college admissions and preparation for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Since the club might struggle to survive if all the founding members left, I decided not to give up easily. After consulting with one of the founding members, I devised a plan to carry on the club’s traditions by focusing on first- and second-year students.
Specifically, I revised the club rules and standardized our activities, and I stepped down from my position as president to hand over leadership to a second-year student. I documented the results and processes of our past activities on social media so that underclassmen could refer to them, thereby laying the groundwork for the club’s continued operation.
Through this process, I confirmed that I am not only passionate about fashion and apparel but also someone who takes responsibility for the tasks I undertake and works to ensure their sustainability. Furthermore, I have further refined my interest in merchandising—which combines economics and design—and am striving to develop related skills in college as well.
