With a love for fashion for as long as he can remember, it was only natural that Niko Salado chose fashion design as his major at Framingham State University. The recent college graduate believes clothing is like wearable armor, or a second skin.
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“It can make or break how comfortable you are, how you feel about yourself, whether you are confident or shy. It can change a person’s entire dynamic,” he said.
Salado took classes in a variety of subjects and in his own major he was challenged to think critically about problems in apparel design, like the fit of a garment or the best choice of fabric.
Over the past four years he developed his creative process and worked on a variety of interesting projects.
During his sophomore year, Salado served as a peer mentor, welcoming freshmen fashion majors to the university. Collaborating with a staff instructor, he created lesson plans and helped teach a freshman seminar. He also enjoyed being a member of the school’s fashion club.
One highlight of his college experience was studying abroad in Florence, Italy, during his junior year.
“My teachers were masters in their respective fields,” said Salado, who was excited to have such an incredible opportunity.
Salado is grateful for the support he received for his undergraduate education from Marblehead Dollars for Scholars, saying it relieved his financial burden and eased the emotional stress he felt worrying about how to pay for college.
“I cannot put into words how much this scholarship has helped me and my family,” he said. While several of his friends held multiple jobs to cover tuition, Salado could focus on his academics and made the dean’s list every semester.
“Growing up in Boston and being in the METCO program while going to school in Marblehead completely changed my life trajectory forever,” he said, noting that he is still very close with many families in town.
Marblehead Dollars for Scholars president Jac Bentley said the local, nonprofit organization has always relied on the generosity of community members to fund scholarships and those donations are an important investment in the future.
“Education empowers young people to succeed and thrive and we are excited to see our scholarship recipients graduate and embark on their careers,” he said.
Salado currently works for Human Systems Integration in Walpole, a wearable technology company that produces items such as heated clothing, shirts that can monitor one’s heart rate and gloves to measure oxygen levels in divers. He wants to earn a master’s degree and his dream job is to operate his own brand full-time, creating clothing designs that are sold to customers worldwide.
Wherever his career leads him, Salado said he will never forget the confidence and support he received from the organization that helped him get his start.
“I am and always will be forever grateful to Marblehead Dollars for Scholars and the citizens of Marblehead.”
Nancy Marrs is a member of the Marblehead Dollars for Scholars Board of Directors.
