Although Vance was offered a very impressive one-year cheer scholarship to a college in Hawaii, but she knew that she would inevitably end up transferring to another university. Choosing between VT and the NC State College of Design was an easy decision for Vance. \u201cI chose NC State because I liked the school better; the atmosphere, the environment, and they have a much better reputation. Plus, the cheer squad was definitely better,\u201d<\/strong> she adds.<\/p>\n Vance did not have a portfolio and decided to apply to the Design Studies program with plans to transfer into Industrial Design. She is now working towards a degree in Industrial design with two minors \u2013 Art + Design and Textile Technology \u2013 and is expected to graduate this spring.<\/p>\n In her sophomore year, Vance decided to discontinue cheerleading so that she could focus on her studies. \u201cI was tired and burned out. My body was hurting and there were other sports I thought I might want to pursue. I realized I could not put 100% of my focus on cheer and I really wanted to focus on school,\u201d she continues. \u201cI picked up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.\u201d This is a form of martial art and combat sport that teaches a smaller person how to defend themselves against larger adversaries by using leverage and proper grappling technique. She joined a local gym where she has been practicing for the past two and a half years. Vance, who is athletic but petite, loves the idea of taking on this new sport because it offers the opportunity to learn and excel at something completely different than gymnastics or cheer. \u201cJiu-Jitsu gives me a certain feeling (high) that I get when I practice. It\u2019s something that I can be solely responsible for \u2013 it\u2019s a personal sport and provides personal gratification. I get out of it what I put into it,\u201d says Vance. It also doesn\u2019t hurt that this sport is a great stress release and keeps her in shape.<\/p>\n This past summer, Vance had an amazing opportunity to intern in NYC at Micheal Kors. This iconic American designer and past Project Runway judge is known for his high-priced women and men\u2019s fashion, jewelry, footwear, accessories, and widely recognized handbags. Vance was a footwear design intern and worked for the Creative Director as his research assistant. \u201cI liked working with shoes and it offers a good connection between ID and fashion. Who doesn\u2019t like shoes?\u201d Vance asks with a chuckle. Working for a large company that is one of the top brands in the fashion world provided Vance with great exposure and insightful opportunity to learn.<\/p>\n She talks about the fascination with how a product goes into production and all the different phases required. \u201cIts pretty complicated, and while I was there, I regained my \u2018fire\u2019 and that was really exciting,\u201d she says. That may have been her biggest learning experience \u2013 reconnecting with her \u2018energy\u2019 to do things differently and to go outside of her comfort zone. \u201cThis internship had an impact on me. Maybe it was the environment? It did, however, make me realize that I want to focus my energy on things I really care about doing\u2013not to just do them for a grade. This really opened me up to other things that I had not considered,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Vance is now working towards an independent study. \u201cMy independent study incorporates my interest in Jiu-Jitsu to design a Gi (pronounced \u2018GEE\u2019) and other active wear. Before, I would never have considered doing this, and I realized, \u2018why not?\u2019<\/strong> I got some great exposure to technical design, and next semester I will learn more about this,\u201d she explains. Technical design in clothing or fashion may include quality assurance, things like making certain each pattern is accurate and that the stitching will align. Vance considers this a type of problem-solving, which has been a focus of her education here at the College of Design.<\/p>\n The involvement provided life lessons and an amazing sense of accomplishment. \u201cIt was a lesson in a team challenge. Working on a collaborative team and learning each other\u2019s strengths and weaknesses,\u201d<\/strong> she pauses and closes her eyes, \u201cgoing through the process of building a collection and feeling that you have more failures than success.\u201d As with any designer, the process can be cathartic in the positive and negative. \u201cThere was so much time and energy that went into this event, but I was thrilled with the final results,\u201d she says. Two of the pieces in the collection are still her favorite personal works. But most important was her ability to overcome any and all challenges that she faced throughout the experience.<\/p>\n Does Vance think her decision to come to the College of Design was a good one? \u201cAbsolutely. I love the professors. They are so personable, and you can talk to them. It\u2019s a tight community, and it offers such a great experience<\/strong>. Associate Professor of Industrial Design Tim Buie was my sophomore studio professor, and he is also my adviser and has been so influential,\u201d she adds. \u201cHe was our \u2018leader\u2019 when I went to Prague with almost the entire ID junior class. We all respect him so much.\u201d<\/p>\n And the admiration is a two-way street. \u201cIn a generation of ‘delicate snowflakes,’ Lauren is a kick-butt \u2018kung-fu\u2019 designer<\/strong>. If you work with her, you better keep up or keep quiet,” Buie states.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"Since the age of three, Lauren Vance has been involved in gymnastics, dance, and cheer. At eight, she transitioned into competitive cheer and focused her ambitions on one day becoming a collegiate cheerleader at a large university. Fast forward several years, and Vance became a cheerleader at NC State University as an incoming freshman. She had several other cheerleading options, but it was the design program with the College of Design that helped her make the final decision.\n\nOriginally Vance had the intention of majoring in physics. However, while touring Virginia Tech (VT), she accidentally entered a wrong building and wound up in the industrial design studios. \u201cI was so impressed and inspired, I immediately changed my mind and decided to go into design,\u201d Vance state, \u201cIt was a perfect accident to go into that building.\u201d Many would say it was serendipitous<\/em>.\n\nAlthough Vance was offered a very impressive one-year cheer scholarship to a college in Hawaii, but she knew that she would inevitably end up transferring to another university. Choosing between VT and the NC State College of Design was an easy decision for Vance. \u201cI chose NC State because I liked the school better; the atmosphere, the environment, and they have a much better reputation. Plus, the cheer squad was definitely better,\u201d<\/strong> she adds.\n\nVance did not have a portfolio and decided to apply to the Design Studies program with plans to transfer into Industrial Design. She is now working towards a degree in Industrial design with two minors \u2013 Art + Design and Textile Technology \u2013 and is expected to graduate this spring.\n\n Lauren Vance, an Industrial Design undergraduate student, has found unique ways to tie her personal passions into her creative designs. From Cheerleading to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, her time with NC State Design has provided many learning opportunities to challenge her personal growth. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":4564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[16,6],"class_list":["post-21412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-experience","category-uncategorized","tag-art2wear","tag-industrial-design"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21412\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/architecture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Laren_NCSU](\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Laren_NCSU-Cheerleader.jpg\")
<\/a>Cheerleading demands a great deal of commitment. \u201cIt was a lot of work. Time consuming with so many practices, and then there were games. You really have to find the balance of being a student and an athlete,\u201d Vance says. When she was touring schools and meeting with cheerleading representatives, she was impressed that NC State placed so much emphasis on prioritizing academics over cheer. \u201cIt is really important to me to do well in my classes, experience college life, and do well at cheer.\u201d Finding this balance in addition to the first year studio classes was challenging, but she made it work. Cheer also provided Vance with the opportunity to meet friends who together built a great support unit for each other. Since many of the girls on the cheer squad were going through the same experiences, they could all relate to similar highs and lows.<\/p>\n<\/a>One of her fondest memories and experiences thus far been has been her participation in the iconic fashion event Art2Wear (A2W). In her junior year, Vance and Kaitlyn Sulser-Young [\u201914 BPD], who was a student at the College of Textiles, entered their design collection \u201cMetal.\u201d Their unique designs incorporated various materials made of metal, including non-traditional items like chains. It was a huge undertaking that provided personal growth and amazing learning opportunities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/a>Cheerleading demands a great deal of commitment. \u201cIt was a lot of work. Time consuming with so many practices, and then there were games. You really have to find the balance of being a student and an athlete,\u201d Vance says. When she was touring schools and meeting with cheerleading representatives, she was impressed that NC State placed so much emphasis on prioritizing academics over cheer. \u201cIt is really important to me to do well in my classes, experience college life, and do well at cheer.\u201d Finding this balance in addition to the first year studio classes was challenging, but she made it work. Cheer also provided Vance with the opportunity to meet friends who together built a great support unit for each other. Since many of the girls on the cheer squad were going through the same experiences, they could all relate to similar highs and lows.\n\nIn her sophomore year, Vance decided to discontinue cheerleading so that she could focus on her studies. \u201cI was tired and burned out. My body was hurting and there were other sports I thought I might want to pursue. I realized I could not put 100% of my focus on cheer and I really wanted to focus on school,\u201d she continues. \u201cI picked up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.\u201d This is a form of martial art and combat sport that teaches a smaller person how to defend themselves against larger adversaries by using leverage and proper grappling technique. She joined a local gym where she has been practicing for the past two and a half years. Vance, who is athletic but petite, loves the idea of taking on this new sport because it offers the opportunity to learn and excel at something completely different than gymnastics or cheer. \u201cJiu-Jitsu gives me a certain feeling (high) that I get when I practice. It\u2019s something that I can be solely responsible for \u2013 it\u2019s a personal sport and provides personal gratification. I get out of it what I put into it,\u201d says Vance. It also doesn\u2019t hurt that this sport is a great stress release and keeps her in shape.\n\nThis past summer, Vance had an amazing opportunity to intern in NYC at Micheal Kors. This iconic American designer and past Project Runway judge is known for his high-priced women and men\u2019s fashion, jewelry, footwear, accessories, and widely recognized handbags. Vance was a footwear design intern and worked for the Creative Director as his research assistant. \u201cI liked working with shoes and it offers a good connection between ID and fashion. Who doesn\u2019t like shoes?\u201d Vance asks with a chuckle. Working for a large company that is one of the top brands in the fashion world provided Vance with great exposure and insightful opportunity to learn.\n\nShe talks about the fascination with how a product goes into production and all the different phases required. \u201cIts pretty complicated, and while I was there, I regained my \u2018fire\u2019 and that was really exciting,\u201d she says. That may have been her biggest learning experience \u2013 reconnecting with her \u2018energy\u2019 to do things differently and to go outside of her comfort zone. \u201cThis internship had an impact on me. Maybe it was the environment? It did, however, make me realize that I want to focus my energy on things I really care about doing\u2013not to just do them for a grade. This really opened me up to other things that I had not considered,\u201d she says.\n\nVance is now working towards an independent study. \u201cMy independent study incorporates my interest in Jiu-Jitsu to design a Gi (pronounced \u2018GEE\u2019) and other active wear. Before, I would never have considered doing this, and I realized, \u2018why not?\u2019<\/strong> I got some great exposure to technical design, and next semester I will learn more about this,\u201d she explains. Technical design in clothing or fashion may include quality assurance, things like making certain each pattern is accurate and that the stitching will align. Vance considers this a type of problem-solving, which has been a focus of her education here at the College of Design.\n\n<\/a>One of her fondest memories and experiences thus far been has been her participation in the iconic fashion event Art2Wear (A2W). In her junior year, Vance and Kaitlyn Sulser-Young [\u201914 BPD], who was a student at the College of Textiles, entered their design collection \u201cMetal.\u201d Their unique designs incorporated various materials made of metal, including non-traditional items like chains. It was a huge undertaking that provided personal growth and amazing learning opportunities<\/strong>.\n\nThe involvement provided life lessons and an amazing sense of accomplishment. \u201cIt was a lesson in a team challenge. Working on a collaborative team and learning each other\u2019s strengths and weaknesses,\u201d<\/strong> she pauses and closes her eyes, \u201cgoing through the process of building a collection and feeling that you have more failures than success.\u201d As with any designer, the process can be cathartic in the positive and negative. \u201cThere was so much time and energy that went into this event, but I was thrilled with the final results,\u201d she says. Two of the pieces in the collection are still her favorite personal works. But most important was her ability to overcome any and all challenges that she faced throughout the experience.\n\nDoes Vance think her decision to come to the College of Design was a good one? \u201cAbsolutely. I love the professors. They are so personable, and you can talk to them. It\u2019s a tight community, and it offers such a great experience<\/strong>. Associate Professor of Industrial Design Tim Buie was my sophomore studio professor, and he is also my adviser and has been so influential,\u201d she adds. \u201cHe was our \u2018leader\u2019 when I went to Prague with almost the entire ID junior class. We all respect him so much.\u201d\n\nAnd the admiration is a two-way street. \u201cIn a generation of 'delicate snowflakes,' Lauren is a kick-butt \u2018kung-fu\u2019 designer<\/strong>. If you work with her, you better keep up or keep quiet,\" Buie states.\n\n "},"excerpt":{"rendered":"