Pedagogy and Professional Development

Portfolio Reviews: Connecting Students with Alumni Mentors for Feedback

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Abstract

Alumni can be a significant assest to a university by supporting students through opportunities for mentorship. As communication and presentation skills continue to be highly valued in the workplace, it remains critical for higher education to provide opportunities for students to practice sharing their work in professional settings to build their confidence. Based on observations, students in portfolio courses could benefit from additional experiences to present their work to those in the fashion industry for feedback. The purpose of this research is to engage senior fashion design students in an educational experience that allows them to practice presenting their portfolios to alumni professionals for valuable feedback. Further, the connection made through this educational experience allowed students to build potential mentoring with the alumni reviewers and foster a stronger sense of community and belonging within the school.

Keywords: Mentoring, Alumni, Portfolio, Fashion Design

How to Cite:

Lapolla, K., (2025) “Portfolio Reviews: Connecting Students with Alumni Mentors for Feedback”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21823