Never Back Down, Never What?: Valerie's Journey from CM to Abercrombie & Fitch

Have you ever thought about doing something so different from your major but then you thought, “Oh, it doesn’t fit my degree, I can’t do that.”?

That never stopped Valerie Tran, one of our former Campus Managers. Once an Industrial Engineering graduate, Valerie is now an Assistant Merchandise Planner at Abercrombie & Fitch. W for fashion girlies nationwide. 

Queen of Getting Things Done

Valerie was a go-getter queen at the University of Louisville Speed Engineering School. She has a passion for philanthropy and was a co-founder of the “Homeland Project”, a non-profit organization that aimed to better the lives of the immigrant community in Louisville. 

She was also part of the executive team of the raiseRED Dance Movement: the biggest student-led philanthropy on campus that focused on raising awareness and funds for people afflicted with pediatric cancer and blood disorders.

Like the superwoman that she is, Valerie also started her own embroidery business! After posting a TikTok promoting her business that went viral, she even started to get international orders. We kinda wish we could go viral on TikTok too… 

 Besides everything else Valerie had on her plate, she also had an interest in fashion and retail. This interest made her the perfect fit for Fresh Prints.

CM Valerie

Valerie first learned of Fresh Prints when a Business Development Manager at reached out to her and mentioned they were hiring at her campus. After learning about the role and what she could learn on the job, she took that plunge right away.

Building Stronger Bonds

As a CM, Valerie learned how to get to know other people and connect with them beyond driving sales. With her training from Fresh Prints, she developed her communication and interpersonal skills, allowing her to build stronger and more authentic relationships.

With her ability to make meaningful connections on campus, Valerie found her network growing stronger and in a deeper way. These weren’t just business transactions, but genuine connections and friendships that she nurtured. 

Becoming a Leader and a Guide

Speaking of being a leader at raiseRED, Valerie’s time at Fresh Prints helped her ease into being in charge.  The skills she’s learned as a CM, particularly on how to communicate effectively with others, were the foundations for her term as Executive Director of raiseRED.

Her BDMs also taught her how they would usually help struggling CMs, and she eventually had the chance to try it out with fellow CMs who hadn’t worked in a while or were struggling to get into the role. As Valerie puts it, it was “like a friend helping a friend.”

She’s continued to use those skills now at Abercrombie & Fitch, where she’s thriving!

Assistant Merchandise Planner at Abercrombie & Fitch

Valerie had a goal: to find a company where she would feel like she was excited about working all the time. It was the vibe she had as a Campus Manager, and she wanted that fulfillment in her career, no matter what. 

As for career advice, Valerie strongly encourages students to apply for jobs that they care about. Not just something that fits your degree. After all, why would you want to have a boring 9-5 job when you can work somewhere you love? 

Valerie didn’t feel like applying for industrial engineering jobs because it felt like the industry wasn’t her true calling, especially after experiencing the exciting world of retail and fashion. Instead, she took her chances at the merchandising leadership development program at Abercrombie & Fitch. Valerie was up against hundreds of applicants, but everything happens for a reason!

And a surprising fact about her journey to A&F? One of her interviewers was a customer of Fresh Prints back in college! The network, y’all.

But in all seriousness, her experience under Fresh Prints gave her a real leg up in her interview. The A&F hiring team got the chance to understand her tenacity, plus her ability to work hard and smart, through her unique CM experience. 

Now, she’s the Assistant Merchandise Planner at A&F—a super high-stakes retail job where she gets to break down stocks to various branches effectively, determine pricing and promos, and more. Anything fashion and number-related is her domain!

Valerie’s Special Message: Never Settle, but Pace Yourself

Valerie’s advice to college students: Never give up on what you want. Never settle for less when you know you can reach higher. 

In her case, Valerie didn’t graduate with a degree related to retail and merchandising, and there were a lot of industrial engineering roles available for her. But she felt that those were not enough for her, that there was something more out there. Valerie took that long shot and it worked out in the end!

She also emphasized that taking a break helped her pick herself back up after a super fulfilling but busy college life. After graduation, Valerie dedicated time to travel and rest from the mental exhaustion and burnout of juggling so many things. You can always be a go-getter, but you also deserve rest!

Valerie’s story is a testament to how talented our Fresh Prints Campus Managers are. The CM role uniquely prepares you for so many areas of life, both in college and beyond. However, one of the most important lessons a CM learns is how to control every outcome. Valerie is a perfect example of living out this principle and chasing her dreams, even when it doesn’t make sense to others.