Abby Rossman
Abby Rossman aspires to focus on the business side of the apparel, merchandising, and design major by becoming a buyer/merchandiser. In her free time, Abby loves to cook, hang out with her friends, and watch TV.
Get to know Abby
- Major: Apparel, merchandising, and design
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Dubuque, Iowa (Dubuque County)
- Career goal: Buyer/merchandiser
- Clubs/activities: TREND Magazine, CHS Honors Program, College of Human Sciences Ambassadors, National Retail Federation Student Association
- Awards/honors: Dean’s list, Noma Scott Lloyd Memorial Scholarship
- Favorite place on campus: Central Campus on a warm sunny day
- Most influential ISU mentor: Jessica Hurst
- Favorite class: AMD 328T, Trend Forecasting
- Why Iowa State: Both the opportunities Iowa State has to offer and it being the perfect distance from home
Abby Rossman intertwines fashion and business skills to pursue dream career
During AMD 376, a retail math and buying class that Abby Rossman took during the fall 2020 semester, her aspirations for a future working as a buyer and/or merchandiser crystalized.
“That class really opened my eyes to what I would be doing in the future. We got to work one-on-one with [Microsoft] Excel and learned about different equations we’d need to know,” Abby said. “It set us up for success.”
Abby always knew she wanted to pursue a career in fashion but wasn’t quite sure which route to take. Being equally analytical and creative, she found a perfect fit by focusing on the business side of the apparel, merchandising, and design major.
As a buyer and/or merchandiser, Abby will choose the garments released in the storefront of the company she is working for, making these decisions by looking at past numbers, current trends, and what customers have been most inclined to buy.
As someone who appreciates keeping up with the latest fashion trends, Abby is prepared to take on this task. Although she doesn’t have a particular company she’d like to work for, she is interested in working in a bigger city.
To help further prepare her for her future, Abby got involved on campus through several activities and organizations, including TREND magazine, the National Retail Federation Student Association, the Honors Program, the College of Human Sciences Ambassadors.
Abby has worked with TREND Magazine since the first semester of her sophomore year. Looking to join organizations so that she could meet more people early on in her college career, Abby has found that she loves the social aspects and collaborative opportunities that TREND promotes.
“It’s really cool to see everyone’s perspectives, and it’s neat to hear about different people’s opinions on fashion,” she said.
Looking ahead, Abby plans tp explore internship opportunities and further planning for post-graduation. All in all, she is thrilled with the aspect of one day applying what she’s learned here at Iowa State University to her dream career.
“I get to learn about what I love, and hopefully pursue that in my future job,” Abby said.
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