As a first-year student, Anna Tempestoso declared a communication major, but she didn’t feel it touched all the things she cared about. “I discovered how harmful the fashion industry is on the environment, the planet, and people,” she says. Tempestoso's passion for “fashion and making that a more fair world, sustainably and ethically,” led her to design a second major in BDIC that combined classes from the Isenberg School of Management, communication, and a fashion-focused study abroad program in London.
She also started her own sustainable fashion business. “I know sustainability is a big value on campus,” she points out, “and so is being unique and revolutionary.” These values inspired her to utilize vintage UMass Amherst apparel and retro sweaters to construct collage-like tops that both displayed UMass pride and re-used articles of clothing that might otherwise go to waste. Her first batch of sweaters, which she sold at the UMass Student Farmers Market, flew off the table.
Learn more about how Anna and other students customized their UMass Amherst experience by designing their own majors through BDIC.