Leah Kenny

When Leah Kenny heard about FIDM’s new Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, she was excited. Having already earned her A.A. degree in Merchandise Marketing from FIDM, she definitely could see herself expanding on her education at the same school. “I was thinking that the Bachelor’s program would be as good as the A.A. program,” she remembers.

She’d already gotten a taste of the FIDM philosophy: learn the business from instructors who are real-world professionals. “My first two years were very hands-on,” she explains. “I felt like the teachers really cared about my success.” After graduation, she’d put her degree to good use assisting a local boutique owner with buying and visual merchandising. Often the owner would leave Leah to mind the shop. “Running the whole store and being in charge is what gave me the idea to get my business degree,” she recalls. Though she’d been looking into business programs at various colleges, FIDM’s program drew her in. “I looked at the classes. They were very impressive!”

When the quarter began, Leah found that the philosophy evident in FIDM’s A.A. program held true for the B.S. program. “The teachers had a lot of background—they had jobs that support what they’re teaching,” she notes. “Their actual life experience went along with the topic of the class.”

The Business Management program’s two-pronged approach, wherein students acquire the skills necessary for both corporate management and entrepreneurship, dovetails perfectly with Leah’s aims. “My long-term goal is to own my own shop, but before I do that I definitely need—and want—to get more experience in retail and in management. I’d like to be in the business management side of things and work up to entrepreneurship.”

Though now she knows exactly what she wants to do, in high school Leah didn’t have a clear sense of direction. “I didn’t know I wanted to go to a design school,” she says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was starting from scratch!” She first heard about FIDM when a representative came to her school. She contacted the FIDM Admissions Department, and an advisor sat down with her and helped her figure out that the Merchandise Marketing major would be a good fit for her.

Since coming to FIDM, Leah has acquired a definite goal: she hopes one day to open her own surf store, or even an active sportswear chain! Getting a degree in Business Management is a further step on the path to getting herself there. Says Leah, “My degree will let the world know that I have the knowledge it takes to be a businessperson!”