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DeShaun Williams, a December 2012 graduate of the Raymond Campus Fashion Marketing Technology program, recently participated in working New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Sept. 5-12, featuring the Spring 2014 Collections of major fashion designers.

“My life will never be the same again,” he said after the experience, expressing his appreciation to department chair Dana Bailey for “pushing me to work harder.”

Williams assisted the Daily Front Row online magazine with coordination of its events for New York Fashion Week.

Williams, a 2009 graduate of Raymond High School where he also completed the high school marketing program under Emily Montgomery, learned of the opportunity through Laboratory Institute of Merchandising College’s media board. When the magazine learned of Williams’ ��«Ӱҵ degree, he was immediately offered a position.

He is enrolled in the Manhattan school, working on a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing with a concentration in Fashion Journalism.  About three-fourths of his degree program is made up of transfer hours from his ��«Ӱҵ program.

“My degree from ��«Ӱҵ has allowed me to visit heights that I only once dreamed of,” he said. “After telling individuals in the fashion industry that I have a degree, I have been allowed to navigate past others and get hands-on experience in this very competitive industry.”

He credits his ��«Ӱҵ instructors with his success so far. “They saw the best in me when I did not, when I felt like giving up they encouraged me to continue, and lastly, they provided me with information that was more than useful to get into this industry,” he said.

His instructors on the Raymond Campus were Bailey, district coordinator and Raymond Campus chair, Leslie Staring, Barbie Ferguson, Lynn Holliday, Jo Ponder and the late Clayton Marble.

For more information, on the ��«Ӱҵ Fashion Marketing program, see the website at