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“Philanthropy is almost the only virtue which is sufficiently appreciated by mankind.” -Henry David Thoreau
Between my Sophomore and Junior year of college my roommates Ashley Dudek and Cathleen Beer helped me come up with a plan to fuse my two greatest passions: Philanthropy and Fashion Design. Corazón Swimwear started as an effort to raise money for a student in Guatemala seeking higher education. I chose Guatemala because their intricate, hand-woven textiles have continuously inspired me over the years. Fair-trade vendor Grace Gardener located at 18th and Walnut in Philadelphia, PA has been working with indigenous villages in Guatemala for over 30 years importing textiles and supporting local producers. I was lucky enough to connect with her in the spring of 2011 to purchase fabric for my designs.
In April of 2011, I received the Frieda Fehrenbacher Travel Fellowship and Leadership Fellowship from my school Moore College of Art and Design. In June-July of 2011, aided by the Leadership Fellowship and an amazing group of volunteer vendors (Cade Sadler, Cathleen Beer, Anne Marie Caracci, Ashley Dudek, Mary Gomez, and John Note), I made and sold over 200 garments and raised a scholarship of $1,000 for a student in Guatemala seeking higher education. With the Travel Fellowship, I was able to stay in Guatemala with Grace and learn more about the traditional culture and textile weavings of the Mayans. During my travels, I was introduced to Felix Yaxon Mendez whose father works for Grace. He is a bright 22 year old who has already completed 3 years of college and was offered a scholarship to continue. However, his family cannot afford the transportation to and from the college (about 30 min taxi to and from) along with the school supplies. This is where my scholarship has come in, enabling Felix to continue school. He will be one of the only people in any of the villages surrounding Lake Atitlan to finish college. This is a very significant accomplishment in the unstable political environment of Guatemala.
Corazon’s future venture will be to build a business that can operate while donating 10% of its profits to an education fund for a student in Guatemala seeking higher education. By aiding local students through this fund, I hope to help sustain the local textile practices which are in present decline. It would be incredibly unfortunate to lose this age old art form as these designs have been passed down from generation to generation since the Mayan Era. By bringing awareness to the beauty and artisty of Mayan textiles, I hope to create demand by the American people and therefore jobs in the desolate economy of Lake Atitlan. My ultimate goal is to start a cooperative in Guatemala that will protect the producers rights to a fare wage. Currently, Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in Central and South America with approximately 75% of its population living below the poverty line. Their traditional clothing and textiles have enriched my life, and all I hope is that I will be able to return the favor.
In April of 2011, I received the Frieda Fehrenbacher Travel Fellowship and Leadership Fellowship from my school Moore College of Art and Design. In June-July of 2011, aided by the Leadership Fellowship and an amazing group of volunteer vendors (Cade Sadler, Cathleen Beer, Anne Marie Caracci, Ashley Dudek, Mary Gomez, and John Note), I made and sold over 200 garments and raised a scholarship of $1,000 for a student in Guatemala seeking higher education. With the Travel Fellowship, I was able to stay in Guatemala with Grace and learn more about the traditional culture and textile weavings of the Mayans. During my travels, I was introduced to Felix Yaxon Mendez whose father works for Grace. He is a bright 22 year old who has already completed 3 years of college and was offered a scholarship to continue. However, his family cannot afford the transportation to and from the college (about 30 min taxi to and from) along with the school supplies. This is where my scholarship has come in, enabling Felix to continue school. He will be one of the only people in any of the villages surrounding Lake Atitlan to finish college. This is a very significant accomplishment in the unstable political environment of Guatemala.
Corazon’s future venture will be to build a business that can operate while donating 10% of its profits to an education fund for a student in Guatemala seeking higher education. By aiding local students through this fund, I hope to help sustain the local textile practices which are in present decline. It would be incredibly unfortunate to lose this age old art form as these designs have been passed down from generation to generation since the Mayan Era. By bringing awareness to the beauty and artisty of Mayan textiles, I hope to create demand by the American people and therefore jobs in the desolate economy of Lake Atitlan. My ultimate goal is to start a cooperative in Guatemala that will protect the producers rights to a fare wage. Currently, Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in Central and South America with approximately 75% of its population living below the poverty line. Their traditional clothing and textiles have enriched my life, and all I hope is that I will be able to return the favor.
