Two Columbia Students Named Next Generation Scholarship Semifinalists by NRF Foundation

Campus Communications / Jun 22, 2022

Seniors Ivonne Malagon and Miranda Prater are NRF Foundation Next Generation semifinalists. Background art created by Thais Centeno, Creative Director of Columbia’s 2022 Manifest celebration.Seniors Ivonne Malagon (left) and Miranda Prater (right) are NRF Foundation Next Generation semifinalists. Background art created by Thais Centeno, Creative Director of Columbia’s 2022 Manifest celebration.
Columbia students once again earn top spots and compete for $10,000 and $25,000 scholarships.

Two Columbia College Chicago students have been named NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship semifinalists. Ivonne Malagon and Miranda Prater, both seniors, are among the 25 students advancing to the next round of this annual competition, which ultimately awards $10,000 scholarships to four finalists and a $25,000 scholarship to the top recipient. Both students completed an essay on corporate social responsibility as well as created a personal brand video to earn this distinction. Columbia students won the prestigious Next Generation Scholarship in 2021 and 2022.

Prater is a Fashion Studies student majoring in Fashion Merchandising, with a minor in Marketing. She and two other Columbia students earned a top spot at the U.S. finals for L’Oréal Brandstorm in May. She looks forward to the next round of the NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship competition.

"The thing I'm excited about the most is making a difference in the fashion community and in the way we go about retail. I have an enormous passion for making an impact, and I strive to set a positive example in the fashion community and learn how to be a stronger leader,” she says. “I also can't wait to meet the other incredible students who are competing." 

For the next phase of this year’s competition, Malagon and Prater will complete a case study created in collaboration with Nordstrom and two interviews with assigned retailers. After that, ten students will advance and participate in quick-fire video interviews with the NRF team, with the top five finalists selected by Sept. 15, 2022. In the final round, members of the NRF Foundation Board of Directors interview finalists to determine the top recipient.

"I could have never imagined advancing and getting to share more of my ideas,” says Malagon, who is  a Communication student majoring in Marketing, with a minor in Fashion Studies. “I am looking forward to taking part in such a prestigious competition."

Congratulations to both semifinalists!

 

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