Carol Visits Andrew In New York!

Back in August (feels weird to write that) Carol took a whirlwind vacation out to the East coast, and had a chance to meet up with Andrew in New York. He had just finished up his first year at Parsons, The New School for Design, and we were excited to hear how it had gone.

For those of you who might not know, Andrew Mesadieu was NeigerDesigns' mentee through the AIM High Education Initiative, a program of the Center for Companies That Care. What that means is that while Andrew was in high school at Urban Prep, Englewood Campus, a team of three NDI employees mentored Andrew throughout the four years of high school. Mentoring is face to face approximately once a month and virtual, conducted via email. A mentoring team devotes an estimated 45 hours per year per student. Andrew also spent significant time in the NDI office, learning and working alongside all of our designers while he built and refined his portfolio.

Here's what Carol reported about her time with Andrew: "Andrew had a successful first year at Parsons The New School for Design. Parsons' first-year Foundation program immerses students in an exploration of art and design concepts, training them to become critical design thinkers. Andrew plunged into his studies and studio work, which included Foundation classes�2D Integrated Studio, Laboratory, 3D Studio, and Drawing Studio. His favorite course was 2D Studio. He continues to have a passion for fashion and specifically, athletic footwear design. Parsons' program is incredibly rigorous and we are proud of how hard Andrew worked this past year."

As for Andrew, here's what he said about his time at Parsons so far:
"Parsons molded me into a better designer, a better thinker and a better person. I believe my foundation year has provided me with the set skills to assist me in accomplishing my goals. I am no longer scared to attack my fears."

We're proud of you, Andrew! Keep it up!