From the time she was in seventh grade, Kent State School of Fashion alumni Siera Santos Terry knew she wanted to attend Kent State.
With an entrepreneurial mindset from the time she was eleven where she sold her brand "Things by CiCi" at craft fairs, attending the Kent State Master of Fashion Industry Studies (M.F.I.S.) program during her college years was almost inevitable. Combining the craft of fashion and entrepreneurship, Kent State's M.F.I.S. program elevated Terry's natural talent for selling products and running her own businesses.
Throughout her time earning her Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising degree at Kent State, Terry worked in several retail locations, continuously surrounding herself with the clothing business. Once she transitioned to earning her Master of Fashion Industry Studies degree, Terry picked up where she left off when she was younger and ran her own business once again. In 2019, she founded Bougie Bands, a headbands business inspired by her time working at Nordstrom, and ended up securing $5,000 in funding within the first six months. Terry reflected on her time at Kent State, and how it contributed to her success as a business owner.
"The day I bought the supplies to make the headband, I went home and made a logo for Bougie Bands, which was a skill I had learned to do through the Fashion School," said Terry. "I can figure out my markup because I鈥檝e taken classes for financial accounting and merchandising classes. A lot of the skills I learned were not only the elements that go into creating a business, but also having the connections to expand the brand."
Quote from an article by a Magazine, written by Kristen Kubek, published Feb. 8, 2020.
Upon graduating from Kent State, Terry transitioned into working for smaller companies, one of which being her role at HSN, which stood out to her as her biggest achievement and most positive experience. With her interest in marketing and business, Terry also created Santos Marketing in 2020, a consulting and development services company for Shopify websites, with the goal of helping small businesses. Terry now holds the position as CMO for Body by FRoST, a women's beauty business she created as a culmination of her passions.
While entrepreneurship came naturally for Siera Santos Terry from a young age, Kent State's M.F.I.S. program served as a platform to help launch her into her future career as a CMO and multi-business owner. Creating connections and gaining skills in effective marketing and merchandising techniques shaped the outcomes of her brands, helping translate her ideas into professional companies.
About the School of Fashion M.F.I.S. Program
The Master of Fashion Industry Studies degree in Fashion Industry Studies addresses the highly interdisciplinary character of practice within fashion as an industry. The Fashion Industry Studies major leads to an initial master's degree for the academic advancement of students to engage in learning and experiences applicable to the fashion industry. The degree program prepares professionals who intentionally use cross-disciplinary and applied research methods to address complex issues and provide impactful solutions for the fashion industry.
The curriculum prepares students with critical and analytical skills to address fashion industry challenges, integrating historical and theoretical knowledge while emphasizing effective communication, environmental responsibility and a global perspective.