National Retail Federation Student Association of Columbia College Chicago

National Retail Federation Student Association of Columbia College Chicago The national retail federation will provide networking and job opportunities, access to scholarships

The University Challenge team case competition is officially OPEN for applications! 🚀This unique experience allows unde...
02/27/2026

The University Challenge team case competition is officially OPEN for applications! 🚀

This unique experience allows undergraduate students to apply classroom learning to a real-world retail challenge. In partnership with Wayfair, teams will develop an innovative strategic solution, with finalists advancing to present to top retail executives. The winning team will earn $30,000 in tuition scholarships and a chance to participate in the NRF Foundation’s Student Program 2027 in NYC.

Last year, Columbia’s own Ashley Corona, Mihir Patel, and Yasmine Karkouch were named 2026 University Challenge Finalists, earning a $20,000 tuition award for their team.

Interested in joining the fun? Send an email over to Columbia’s Director of Scholarship Initiatives, Dana Connell
✉️ [email protected]

Info Session 1- REGISTER HERE:
📆 Friday, March 6, 11:00 AM CT
🔗 https://nrf.zoom.us/meeting/register/eKV7v5pjT8GiF4wfcK1wrw #/registration

Info Session 2- REGISTER HERE:
📆 Monday, April 27, 11:00 AM CT
🔗 https://nrf.zoom.us/meeting/register/PMQXJwhOTUyyEp0mo2UMew #/registration

Learn more about the 2026 NRF University Challenge Finalists HERE:
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Of32s85Po&t=1s

For more information, check out the NRF Website.
🔗 https://nrffoundation.org/campus/scholarships/university-challenge

Or you can shoot us a DM here :)

The NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship is officially OPEN 🚀This scholarship recognizes students who are ready to...
02/27/2026

The NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship is officially OPEN 🚀

This scholarship recognizes students who are ready to lead, innovate, and make a real impact in the retail industry. Beyond funding, it’s an opportunity to sharpen your business thinking, expand your network, and step confidently into the next phase of your career. This year, Columbia College’s Shamya Banks was awarded 15K as an NRF Foundation Next Gen runner-up and finalist.

Phase 1 applications are due May 26, 2026

Check out the NRF Foundation’s upcoming info session to learn more!

📅 Wednesday, March 11, 3:00-4:00 PM CT

Next Generation Scholarship Info Session- REGISTER HERE:
🔗 https://nrf.zoom.us/meeting/register/Zng91Ct-RzmGNnNbI8tpag #/registration

Learn more about the 2026 NRF Foundation Next Generation Finalists HERE:
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sNaua-U5UU

Questions, Comments, Concerns?

For more information, check out the NRF Website.
🔗 https://nrffoundation.org/campus/scholarships/next-generation

Reach out to Columbia’s Director of Scholarship Initiatives- Dana Connell
✉️ [email protected]

Or you can shoot us a DM here :)

Hi all! My name is Yasmine Karkouch, and I’ll be your new Columbia College Chicago NRF Foundation Student Ambassador for...
02/23/2026

Hi all! My name is Yasmine Karkouch, and I’ll be your new Columbia College Chicago NRF Foundation Student Ambassador for the next year. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to attend the student program in NYC for the last 2 years. I am excited to share my experience and all the amazing upcoming internships and scholarships the foundation has to offer!

A little about me:
🧵 Junior Fashion Design Major
🌊 Beach lover and book enjoyer
♍️ Virgo Sun
🎶 Current song on repeat: “everything about her” Amie Blu

DMs are open for any questions. Let’s connect!

Meet Shamya Banks, a Fashion Studies major and current 2026 NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship Finalist! Hear ab...
11/16/2025

Meet Shamya Banks, a Fashion Studies major and current 2026 NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship Finalist! Hear about her incredible experience with the NRF below!

She reflected on her time working on the Next Gen Scholarship, saying, "The biggest challenge for me was juggling this competition in tandem with my full-time internship at Crate & Barrel. A highlight of it is that since we were looking to improve their dorm assortment, there was a lot of creative freedom that I could take in aligning with the brand more authentically."

Shamya also recommends the NRF Foundation Student Program, saying, "I recommend the student program for students who want to understand how to apply what we’re learning in classes into their professional goals and increase their visibility. At the program, you are able to get facetime with industry leaders, mentors, and brand recruiters in really helpful ways. If you’ve been putting in the work but have a hard time breaking through the noise, the student program is a great place to go to standout."

Reflecting on her time at CCC and looking forward into the future, Shamya says, "I love being a Fashion Peer Tutor on campus. This role allows me to support so many types of students in understanding their coursework and fostering a deeper appreciation for the subject and their own creativity. I’m looking forward to using everything that I’ve learned to pour into other students and help them achieve their goals."

Congratulations on all of your incredible achievements, Shamya! We will be cheering you on in NYC!

Travel scholarships for the 2026 NRF Foundation Student Program are open now! Visit the link below or in our stories to ...
09/04/2025

Travel scholarships for the 2026 NRF Foundation Student Program are open now! Visit the link below or in our stories to apply!

nrffoundation.org/scholarships

Meet Yasmine Karkouch, a fashion merchandising major and active participant in the NRF Foundation University Challenge! ...
04/25/2025

Meet Yasmine Karkouch, a fashion merchandising major and active participant in the NRF Foundation University Challenge! Hear about her experience with the NRF below!

She reflected on her time on the University Challenge, saying, "The biggest highlight was my team. I feel so lucky to have worked with such enthusiastic, brilliant, hardworking teammates. They became a support system, and being surrounded by people so dedicated to the work was the push to keep going!"

She also highly recommends that students take advantage of the NRF Foundation Student Program in NYC! "It truly widens your perspective. At first, being surrounded by so many ambitious and hardworking students can be a little daunting, but it's also incredibly motivating. You become aware of just how expansive the world of retail is and how many opportunities are out there."

Reflecting on the future, Yasmine said, "Looking ahead—whether it's at Columbia or throughout my career—I'm just excited to keep learning and growing. Whether the path moves horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or in the smallest steps, I want to stay open, curious, and committed to evolving."

Interested in all things retail? Come to our information & workshop session to learn more about this awesome scholarship...
04/14/2025

Interested in all things retail? Come to our information & workshop session to learn more about this awesome scholarship opportunity! The meeting is on April 15th from 3-3:30pm! Check this week's The Thread or DM for the zoom link!
P.S. If you can't make the meeting, it will be recorded and available to view later this week! See you there! 😄

Doing a little spring cleaning? Donate all your unwanted or un-needed shoes to our shoe drive! What: All gently used or ...
03/21/2025

Doing a little spring cleaning? Donate all your unwanted or un-needed shoes to our shoe drive!

What: All gently used or new shoes can be donated!
Where: Donation boxes in the Fashion Lab, 623 S Wabash Room 705 and in the 10th floor Offices, 618 S Michigan Ave
When: Now until April 18th
Contact Natilee Strey - CCC NRF Foundation Student Ambassador, with any questions!
Email: [email protected]

The NRF Foundation Student Ambassador Program and Soles4Souls are teaming up again to make a big impact in 2025! Our goal as a collective Student Ambassador program is to collect 10,000 pairs of new or gently worn shoes, combining all of our efforts to expand this program onto our campuses!

All shoes donated will be providing relief to people in need, keeping garments out of landfills, creating jobs, and empowering people to help break the cycle of poverty.

Campus Goal: collect at least 50 pairs of shoes this semester (with 100-150 pairs of shoes being a goal to reach for!)

Join us in congratulating our 2025 NRF Foundation University Challenge winners once again on their incredible win! They ...
03/18/2025

Join us in congratulating our 2025 NRF Foundation University Challenge winners once again on their incredible win! They were able to visit & talk with this year's CCC teams and give them advice, and then celebrated again after they recieved their 1st place awards! From left to right, congrats again to Natilee Strey, Hazel Avery, Graeme Coté, and Michelle Flores!! 👏🎉

Save the date! There's an upcoming info session for the NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship! Info session 1 will ...
03/03/2025

Save the date! There's an upcoming info session for the NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship! Info session 1 will happen on Friday, March 7th at 11am, where you can hear from 2025 runner up, Alicia Langlais as she answers all your questions! Check our story for the link to register!

The NRF has some incredible internship positions available this summer! The internships are located in-person at their h...
02/12/2025

The NRF has some incredible internship positions available this summer! The internships are located in-person at their headquarter office in Washington, D.C. and program dates run from June 2- July 31, 2025. All positions are paid, and specific eligibility requirements vary by role. All of the details on each internship, including the links to apply, can be found here: https://nrf.com/about-us/careers-nrf

‼️The deadline is for students to apply is this upcoming Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Apply now!! DM if you have questions or need the link!

Hi everyone! My name is Natilee Strey and I am your new CCC NRF Foundation Student Ambassador for 2025! I'm so excited t...
02/11/2025

Hi everyone! My name is Natilee Strey and I am your new CCC NRF Foundation Student Ambassador for 2025! I'm so excited to represent our college and get to connect with you all on all things retail & NRF!

Some fun facts about me!

👗 I'm a sophomore majoring in Fashion Merchandising & minoring in Styling!
👗 I'm from Austin, Texas!
👗 I watercolor paint in my free time & enjoy taking dance classes!
👗 I love meeting new people & making new friends!

Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or if you would like more information! 😊

Address

600 S. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL
60605

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