Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1511583
TFS 9 DESTINATION / DESTINATION The New School, Parsons School of Design PROGRAMME / PROGRAM Fashion Design AHMAD F. Considering that Ahmad is a true TFS lifer, having attended La p'tite école, the Junior School and the Senior School, it's no surprise he's well-versed in community life at TFS. Co- head of the 2023 Fashion Show, a member of the film club, a student ambassador, a tour guide for new parents, a middle school transition leader for Grade 6 students, and a member of the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Ahmad is certainly familiar with the student body and their experiences. Two years ago Ahmad never would have considered a move to another country, but this fall he's in New York City studying fashion design at the Parsons School of Design. He attributes this newfound confidence to the experience he gained during his final years at TFS, namely as the 2023 Fashion Show's co-head, a role that allowed him to explore and engage in a passion project. It reinforced his belief in himself as an artist and made him realize what he could accomplish. "It wasn't just me and my personal learning, it was about how I can learn to understand other people and engage in different perspectives," he said. Ahmad also credits this mindset to knowing multiple languages: "Being able to speak French and being able to learn other languages – it really opens you up to this whole other group of cultures and all these different ideas and understandings. I now have the privilege to be able to engage in all these new works of literature, media and philosophies that I wouldn't have access to if I just spoke English." If engaging in other perspectives is Ahmad's approach, just as it is Aidan's, he also realizes the need for comfortable, safe spaces to discuss lived experiences. That's why he took part in the GSA and served as a mentor to younger students in the group, which again widened his outlook. Ahmad plans on staying abroad during his time in university to further expand his worldview, and he hopes to later gain internships at fashion houses, acquire his master's degree, and take all of the influences he has absorbed and put them back into his artistic craft, eventually creating his own fashion brand.