Making it on top of its tour schedule this year, Impressions of Beauty kick-started its Beautiverstiy tour at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Wednesday, April 5. The highly anticipated college expo powered by ten-plus brands took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom.
Upon entering the Grand Ballroom, dozens of excited rattlers were greeted with live music, refreshments, and different brand booths/demos. Victoria Secret & Co, the main featured brand of the college expo, provided a wear test program for students to get measured and spoke to students about the various career opportunities within its organization. As students made their way around the different brand booths, students collected golden tokens from participating in small activities, which they could later exchange for hair care and beauty products.
The college expo also included a fireside chat hosted by senior broadcast journalism student Skylar Davis featuring FAMU alumna and Victoria’s Secret Chief Diversity Officer Lydia Smith.
“Today, I have the distinct honor of hosting this Beautiverstiy fireside chat with one of our very own Lydia Smith,” Davis said.
As the conversation commenced, the FAMU alumna dropped precious gems about networking and spoke on diversity and inclusion, as well as the experience she received from attending an HBCU that prepared her for the position she’s in now.
“There is not a single person that I met that went to a PWI school that could outperform me in a corporate setting, I don’t care what school they went to, what degree they had, like I said I have confidence in the education that I got,” Smith said.
Concluding the fireside chat began, the raffle draw for the 1,000-dollar gift card from Victoria’s Secret. The lucky rattler that walked away with the 1,000 dollar gift card ending up being senior biology pre-med student Hillary Jason who will be using the money to get new clothing.
“I am gonna go on a shopping spree get a whole new wardrobe, and everything, and you Victoria Secret is a little expensive so it’s my time to go all out,” Davis said, who described her experience at the college expo as a positive one. “I was really doubting myself like I was never going to win, I never win anything, so it’s really cool to see you can come out of this expo with something positive.”
The Beautiversity tour has four more stops scheduled, heading next to Howard University and making its final stop at Tennessee State University.