Laila Ward still remembers the feeling of awe that washed over her when she first set foot onto the Tyler Perry Studios campus in Atlanta. 

鈥淚t was so surreal,鈥� said the 秋葵视频 senior fashion merchandising and apparel design student. 鈥淭here were so many moments during that day and the days after where I stopped and thought, 鈥業鈥檓 really here.’鈥� 

Ward secured a coveted internship with the production company for the 2025 summer semester. Out of 1,900 applicants, she was one of the 14 who were chosen. 

She started as a costume production assistant, coordinating costume logistics and maintenance across the various film sets spread out over the massive campus. 

鈥淲e kept everything organized,鈥� Ward explained. 鈥淲e made sure that merchandise and costumes were properly stored, and made sure that everything ran smoothly.鈥� 

Things have to run smoothly on the studio grounds. The 330-acre campus is situated on the site of the former U.S. military installation Fort McPherson in Atlanta, whose soldiers enforced federal regulations after the Civil War. The property features multiple sets that are constantly in use, whether for a Tyler Perry production or otherwise. 

After a few weeks deep in the studio trenches, Ward and her fellow interns were challenged to go a step further. 

鈥淲e were given a surprise project to make our own short film,鈥� said Ward. 鈥淲e were given a budget, a location on the studio campus, camera equipment and props. We only had one week to film, but we were able to create a 10-minute short film.鈥�

She recalls the late nights her team spent working on their film. They would stay up until 3 a.m., consulting with studio executives about how to create the best version of their work while meeting deadlines. 

鈥淭hey already had their own work to do, but they made themselves available for us,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭he culture at the studios, everyone feels like family. We all want to help each other succeed.鈥� 

The relationships she built with these industry professionals made her realize how similar they all were. 

鈥淚 had no idea I鈥檇 be able to get here,鈥� said Ward. 鈥淭he crazy thing about it is that everyone working here all felt the same. Their journey wasn鈥檛 linear. It was all over the place, just like mine.鈥� 

Her passion for fashion started at an early age. As a child, she was a constant fixture at her grandmother鈥檚 side, learning to sew. Her grandmother always encouraged her to make her own clothes, inspiring dreams of a future as a designer. But as she got older, she fought with her own fears, second-guessing her choices. 

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e been mediocre in a lot of things my whole life,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淚 really wasn鈥檛 that athletic. I鈥檓 not a straight-A student. I felt like I wasn鈥檛 really good at anything.  

鈥淎fter high school, I took a gap year and discovered that my natural gift was styling people,鈥� Ward continued. 鈥淚t was so much fun and my friends would always come to me for outfit advice. It felt like I was actually doing something.鈥� 

She had her 鈥榓ha鈥� moment when she found Georgia Southern鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design. 

 鈥淭he fashion program at 秋葵视频 is really rewarding,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can comfortably say it鈥檚 given me the skills I need to succeed in the industry, as well as understanding how important it is to create opportunities for yourself.鈥�  

It was this winding road that brought her to the front door of Tyler Perry Studios, giving her an experience that has helped define her future. 

鈥淚 realized that my superpower wasn鈥檛 just in fashion and clothes,鈥� she explained. 鈥淏ut in pushing people, including myself, to show up as their best selves.鈥�

That鈥檚 what led her to start her own organization, Potential.

鈥淧otential is a collective I started that鈥檚 all about connecting people who want to grow in the creative arts job markets,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 wanted to create something that helps people realize how special they all are.鈥�

She credits Perry鈥檚 real-life challenges an actor and writer looking for a break as a key influence in strengthening the trust she developed in herself.

鈥淵ou have to believe in yourself, just like he did,鈥� said Ward. 鈥淎nd you have to make sure that you鈥檙e taking the time to grow in your craft, just like he did. Once I started doing that鈥 realized there was genuinely no limit to what I could accomplish.鈥�

Georgia Southern junior Mackenzie Miller aspires to one day own a business in fashion, and she found the Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design program to be the perfect fit to help her achieve that goal. Miller has gained a lot of experience in the program, which was recently named the eighth best fashion design school in the south by Fashion Schools. 

鈥淢y experience in the program has been really good so far,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淢y favorite thing is the personal level in which students get to know professors. They are willing to help you learn more and help bring your projects to the next level.鈥�

The ranking was based on Georgia Southern鈥檚 reputation, selectivity and student outcomes. Students in the program explore the process of taking raw materials to make finished products with a focus on research and development, styling and design, production, and marketing. Miller said her favorite part of the program is the opportunity to work closely with her peers and faculty.

鈥淪ince our department is so tightknit, you really get a personal connection with the professors and other students,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou see them every day throughout your time in the program, so you develop a relationship over multiple semesters. It’s been an awesome experience to learn so much about my passion both in and out of the classroom.鈥�

Miller has represented her program by working with the Gender Minority Closet on campus, GreenFest and the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro. She said she wants to continue to help those less fortunate after graduation.

鈥�(After graduation), I plan to go to graduate school and develop more knowledge on my interest in adaptive fashion and universal design, which helps design clothes for people with disabilities,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淎fter that, I plan to work in the industry and then eventually own my own business.鈥�

For more information about the Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design program, visit .

秋葵视频, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving nearly 26,500 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit .

秋葵视频鈥檚 Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design (FMAD) program and Fashion Menagerie, Georgia Southern鈥檚 premier fashion student organization, will host fashion designer Azede Jean-Pierre for a lecture and guest judge at the student Showcase, set for Friday, Dec. 4, in the Russell Union Ballroom. Jean-Pierre is a fashion designer whose young womenswear label is based in New York City, and has been committed to celebrating the sensual femininity of its customer since the company鈥檚 inception. Jean-Pierre was born in Pastel, Haiti, and was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. After three years as a student at Savannah College of Art and Design, she decided to launch her own label and later moved to New York City and honed her skills interning at Ralph Rucci and Ohne Titel before branching out on her own. Jean-Pierre鈥檚 collection has been picked up by Moda Operandi, Chalk Boutique in Chicago, VOD boutique in Dallas, Exodus Goods in Nola, Tinker Tailor and the brand鈥檚 online store. The label has also been featured in many major publications and has become a red carpet favorite for several very stylish and influential celebrities like Solange Knowles, Lady Gaga and First Lady Michelle Obama. Jean-Pierre will present a lecture at 11 a.m. during her visit to Georgia Southern, and will hold a question and answer session along with private critiques for senior design students at 3 p.m. She will then be a guest judge for the Showcase, set for 6 p.m. in the Russell Union Ballroom. The Showcase, which is a runway show and styling competition, includes work from current FMAD design students as well as local and student stylists and alumni. Tickets for the showcase are $2 and may be purchased at the door or in advance through Fashion Menagerie Fashion Organization. The FMAD program area, part of the College of Health and Human Sciences鈥� School of Human Ecology, has two areas of emphasis, fashion merchandising and apparel design. The program of study provides a broad liberal education with a focus on the diverse careers in textiles, apparel production and fashion industries. Students receive specialized training in fashion illustration, pattern making, draping design, manual and computer aided design and fashion buying. The program has been named one of the top fashion merchandising schools in the United States by. 聽In a review that looked at more than 200 institutions and their academics, admissions, programs, faculty and other criteria, Georgia Southern ranked among the top 25 percent in the nation and made the top schools list at 49. The University was also ranked ninth on the list of Top 15 Fashion Schools in the South. Notable fashion alums: Mychael Knight – Celebrity fashion designer, Emily Bargeron – Fashion Designer Mamie Ruth, and Diane Bailey – Designer/ Owner Bailey Boys.