Student/Alumni Profiles

Meet Melyn Rangel
B.F.A. in Fashion Design and Marketing

You don't need to go to school to be a fashion designer but it sure helps. While it takes some aspiring designers a while to learn this, Melyn Rangel grew up knowing the importance of schooling. "I could have done fashion without going to school, but I wanted to better myself, have that degree in the background, and I wanted to take business classes as well as fashion classes."

It took Melyn a year of looking around to find a program that fit. She initially thought she wanted to go to an area art school, but after taking a tour and looking at their offerings, wasn't satisfied. "If I was going to enroll in a school and neglect my already busy life, it would have to be worth it." American InterContinental University was the next school she contacted. After talking with an Admissions Advisor, touring the campus, and studying class syllabi, Melyn enrolled. The whole process took a week.

My goal is to build experience while going to school and that's exactly what I'm able to do at AIU. My Fashion Design chairperson, Dr. Andrew Burnstine, always recommends me to professionals in the world of fashion, and then the classes themselves are great... - Melyn Rangel, B.F.A. in Fashion Design and Marketing

Melyn isn't just taking classes, though, but also getting as involved in AIU's Fashion program as possible. For the last one-and-a-half years she has been president of the Fashion Couture Society and has volunteered at International Miami Fashion Week and fashion shows in Palm Beach and Boca Raton. She's even used her volunteering to land a job as a backstage assistant with a South Florida company producing fashion shows.

Her involvement in the Fashion Couture Society allowed Melyn to showcase one of her gowns on television. She has also shown in AIU's own fashion shows. "I had my entire family there. I sold so many tickets to them, I won a prize. The support was great, and the show was very professional."

"My goal is to build experience while going to school and that's exactly what I'm able to do at AIU. My Fashion Design chairperson, Dr. Andrew Burnstine, always recommends me to professionals in the world of fashion, and then the classes themselves are great. The academic representatives help me get the classes I want-anything that involves sewing is automatically a favorite-and I'm learning stuff about fashion or business in each and every one. That combined with the real-world experience I'm getting are going to make it easier when I start my own line."

Learn more about Fashion Marketing and Design degree!