Junior Larissa Sehringer participated in Teen Vogue’s annual Fashion University seminar program, running around from seminar to seminar and meeting influential figures in the fashion industry for three days in New York City. This star-studded experience inspired her to continue pursuing her interest in fashion.

From March 13 to 15, Sehringer took part in Teen Vogue’s Fashion Design and Styling seminars. She met famous designers and stylists, including Zac Posen, Brett Heyman of Edie Parker, Rebecca Minkoff and Adam Selman. Sehringer also met the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Amy Astley, who Instagrammed a picture with Sehringer.

“I showed her a part of my portfolio, which she loved,” Sehringer said. “I also met Zac Posen, who is my favorite designer. He is really charming, and he’s actually really well spoken. All of a sudden he would say something a poet would say. He’s very geeky about construction. He immediately lit up when showing us his dresses and went through each layer and explained it.”

The seminars were held in the World Trade Center, so Sehringer had to wake up extra early to get through security and to the first event. The seminars were relatively small, with an average of 30 people, but there were larger ones for more popular events, like the one for Zac Posen. The speakers would introduce themselves, tell their story, give advice, accept questions and then take pictures with the attendees.

Sehringer says she learned a lot from the experience, especially how to best enter the fashion industry and climb up the job ladder.

“You have to take any experience that you can get. Don’t take it for granted. Even if it’s not a job you want, it can get you to places you want later,” Sehringer said. “You should always be busy. When you’re doing a job, make sure you’re always doing something and doing it well. When you meet someone, always keep their contact information because they could call you back in the future, and if you keep a good relationship with them, it can help you get your next job.”

Sehringer hopes to pursue fashion design in college and become a part of the fashion industry.

“Now I just want to move to New York City even more, and now I have potential job offers too,” Sehringer said. “I’m just really excited to get started. It’s really inspiring to be around all the people. Hearing their stories just makes you want to build a story for yourself.”