“My journey to RISD began when I walked in the apparel design classroom as a visitor. I then took the Upcycled Couture: Refashioning Garments course offered through RISD Summer Programs and went into it with little knowledge of sewing. When I left, I had the skills to sew by myself. Every day I learned something new, and although it was challenging and a lot of material, it was well worth it. My final garment was the most challenging assignment and I had a lot of setbacks throughout the process, but the hours spent paid off.
After the program, I had a much larger sense of self and knowledge base that I didn’t expect to receive in just 6 weeks. The staff is incredibly motivating and knowledgeable and it reflects in the students’ work ethic and creations. Everyone I met inspired me and made me want to create. I was always excited for class and quickly became a morning person.
Elizabeth Bentley was the best professor I’ve ever had. She was motivating and always there to help. She gave good constructive criticism and never made me feel bad about asking questions. She’s extremely knowledgeable and taught us so so much in such a small period of time.”
—Elena Peters, RISD Summer Programs student
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