Sherneil Jones, F.I.T. Tech Prep Student

A Great Experience

My name is Sherneil Jones and I attend Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers.  I am in the K house which is the Marketing House.  My plans for next year are to attend F. I. T. and major in advertising and marketing communications.  From attending M. B. H. S., I’ve gained a lot of knowledge.  Since I started high school, I’ve been focused on getting high marks in all of my classes. 

In Business Tech Prep, I’ve learned a lot about fashion, but not only about fashion.  For example, I’ve learned the difference between a fad, a trend, and a classic, what the difference between demographics and psychographics is, what the fashion cycle consists of, and what goes into marketing a product.  In English Tech Prep, I’ve learned a lot of new vocabulary words and my writing has improved.

The thing I liked most about Tech Prep Business was the material taught and the way Ms. Koffer taught the class.  She made it very interesting to me.  I never really knew exactly how fashion dealt with business until I took this class.  In English Tech Prep, I also liked the material and the way Ms. Carey taught the class.  It is different from my other English classes because she made the class interesting.  Most English classes in your senior year are based on “laid back” work like only reading books.  Ms. Carey and Ms. Koffer taught the class as if we were in college.  To me, they were harder than any other English and Business teacher I’ve had, which is not a bad thing.  (They were not over-the-top hard).  I liked that because we are all preparing to go to college.  Ms. Cary also made us write a college essay in September and multiple essays after that. 

I did not dislike anything about Tech Prep.  I feel that the program should be available to more students because it was a great experience.  I would also recommend it to students because they can gain more knowledge and it was also like a college preparation class.

 

Gretchen Maldonado, F.I.T. Tech Prep Graduate

A Stepping Stone in the Right Direction

As I am getting ready to graduate from my Bachelor’s degree of Science in Fashion Merchandising Management from Fashion Institute of Technology, I look back at what paths I have taken to achieve this goal and many others. During my high school years in the High School of Fashion Industries, I was privileged in being part of a program that had a huge affect on my educational career. The program is called Tech Prep.

Tech Prep has had a very influential impact on my educational career and my life, that I could not imagine how I would have been able to achieve many of my goals without the program. When I read the requirements for the program during my junior year in high school, I was very nervous. Extra writing classes? Advanced English and Math course? A Business course? Scary! But I went through it and I don’t regret it. Today, 5 years later, I still use the skills that were taught to me in those tech prep classes; writing a business plan and strategies to present to executives in five huge companies for an internship at Gap Inc. and communicating with buyers to sell a line at Betsey Johnson. Tech Prep gave me the foundation needed start my future career.

As a fashion design major at the high school, Tech Prep has taught me how important business and technology is in the fashion industries. I was fortunate that I was able to create a garment from start to finish but didn’t know how to sell a line or even operate and work closely with the computer. I knew that this was a big flaw that could have a negative affect in my future. With Tech Prep I got to learn the business side of fashion and was so intrigued by it that I decided to major in Fashion Merchandising Management, a business major at Fashion Institute of Technology.

With my knowledge in both design and business I now feel confident about my future as a famous designer and owner of my own clothing line. I believe that if it wasn’t for Tech Prep I would still lack the knowledge of the business in fashion. I strongly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in a career in fashion. It is important to be prepared and learn more about the career that interests you. I am glad that I was able to start in the right track, and Tech Prep was the stepping stone into that direction!

 

Ms. Penny Melis-Cary, Murry Bergtraum High School

NYSTP Saratoga Conference 2004

The month of November was an exciting time for the Tech Prep Team. We
were all in attendance for the State Conference held in Saratoga. One of the many workshops that were offered was a guest speaker panel from the F.I.T. consortia- Murry Bergtaum's own student, Jason Charles, was one of the speakers.  He shared with everyone the importance of being involved in such a program and how being an active member has enriched him so much. Jason said that "Tech Prep prepares you for pursuing a career- to network, build people skills and work with others of any background or ethnicity." He has found many insights while in his education and is now looking forward to graduating from F.I.T. to pursue a degree in Entertainment Law.

Our students develop themselves while in this program and find within
themselves a strength they never thought they possessed. Jason has expressed many times that one of the major influences in his life and through the program was Rebecca Karpus. He said she helped him to "find his way" and she gave him "many opportunities for jobs."  Through his experience he built connections and friends which opened doors for him and brought him to where he is today.

Tech Prep is gaining more recognition for the students they are producing and, hopefully, this trend will continue. This type of program has been the springboard to many new ideas and new experiences. The quality of students who spoke on the panel shows the many talents that they all have and need to be recognized. Through conferences and Career Day events, the word is getting out and it is contagious!