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Samantha Klaassen (B.A. ’18) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

The combination of hands-on classroom instruction, extracurricular opportunities, and connections for internships at Meadows prepares students for the real world, no matter which professional path they may end up taking. Journalism alum and Meadows 2050 Council member Samantha Klaassen took advantage of all that the School had to offer during her time at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, which led her to her current career in New York City.

From acting as both the managing editor and Editor-in-Chief for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Look to participating in internships at publications like PaperCity, Modern Luxury Dallas, and ELLE magazine, her overall experience at Meadows prepared Klaassen for a variety of career options.

“I learned so much getting to be a part of the publishing process from start to finish, from our high-energy photo shoot days to late nights working on layout with our graphic design team,” says Klaassen of her time working on ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Look, which was then a new campus publication. “I made it a big initiative to grow the staff and utilize strengths and skills from a wide variety of students which also helped grow the scope and popularity of the magazine on campus.”

Armed with the experience needed to start a career in magazine publishing, Klaassen took on her first post-grad role as a fashion assistant at Marie Claire magazine in New York City before moving on to a Merchandise Marketing Coordinator at Bloomingdale’s.

And though her degree focused more on the journalism industry, Klaassen always had a gut feeling buying would be a good fit for her. Following this instinct, she eventually became the Senior Assistant Buyer for fragrances at Bloomingdale’s, a role that requires her to use both analytical and creative skills.

“Being a journalism student really hones your research, analytical, and communication skills, and the ability to craft compelling narratives and think about things creatively helps understand consumer behavior,” explains Klaassen on how her education prepared her for a job beyond just the journalism sector. “Your degree gives you so many valuable skills that you can use in whichever industry you choose.”

Her Fashion Media classes introduced Klaassen to the business side of the fashion industry and helped her hone skills she utilizes in her day-to-day role in retail buying. As a Senior Assistant Buyer, her main focuses are executing merchandise strategies, managing vendor relationships, and forecasting market trends, but there are also some creative aspects to her role like working on marketing, events, and visual merchandising.

A lot of career paths in fashion and retail aren’t as linear as other industries and while that can make them interesting, it can also be intimidating. And with the number of skills needed to succeed in the various areas of the fashion industry, sometimes a little advice can be a big advantage. For this reason, Klaassen encourages current students to connect with Meadows alumni to get further insight on navigating particular professional fields.

“Reaching out to alumni if you want to learn more about their current role or industry and what got them there,” she suggests. “There is so much to learn from those who have come before you and plenty of alumni who would love to give you advice as you progress through your career as a Meadows student and beyond.”