Lisa Hillengas has always been interested in understanding the human body. At the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), she was a sculpture major. In her free time, she was a figure skater and Pilates instructor. It was a natural transition, then, when she decided to enroll in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program at Bay State College.
At Bay State College, students in our 2-year Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program come from all walks of life. Many enter the program with a degree in a different field, and all come with a unique idea about where their PTA degree will take them. When it comes time to choose a topic for their program-long service learning project, students have the opportunity to follow their passions and interests to create a project that is unique to them, but also helps the community.
This past year was the setting for a heated presidential election, but Fashion student Sam Ramos wasn't very involved – until her Global Markets professor found a teachable moment from the news for her class.
Chavon Holiday inspected the two garments in front of him – one a cool, burgundy cotton sweater, the other a tattered, moth-eaten knit top. He then put some music on, and got to work. Chavon is a participant in the Green Eileen project, an initiative from Eileen Fisher to repurpose their customers' "gently loved" garments into new garments to sell. All profits support programs for women, girls and the environment.
The most talked about garments at the Northshore Mall are fun, fashion-forward and – made of trash? That's right! This year, Bay State College Fashion Design students partnered with restaurants and stores at the Northshore Mall to create original garments made entirely out of donated, recyclable products. We sat down with Hannah Richardson and Laurie Warden to learn more about what went into making these incredible creations.