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The Summer Alumni Connection
Rachel Spross
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June Alumni Blog – Rachel Spross ‘12
2012 Vanguard alumna Rachel Spross recently graduated from The University of Texas with a BS in fashion design and a minor in business administration. Her college tenure was busy, and her post-grad career days are proving to be as well.
Spross participated in the annual University of Texas Senior Fashion Show. She showcased an activewear set, evening gown, game day outfit and a three-piece collection, all of which were designed and made by her over the course of the 2016-2017 school year. Her three-piece collection won the Most Marketable Honorable Mention (i.e. 2nd place). She was recently featured in the June “Young Women to Watch” issue of Austin Woman magazine.
A born entrepreneur, she has taken her love of fashion and writing and combined them in a fashion blog, The Trendy Tomboy. After graduating, Spross plans to further expand this blog and parlay it into a full-time business. Her goal is to eventually own her own fashion line, which would coexist alongside her blog and a YouTube channel that is in the works. She is well on her way with nearly 15K Instagram followers.
Spross is the daughter of Farron & Karen Spross, both of whom attended Texas A&M. Needless to say, they are a house divided! Farron sells insurance and Karen is a homemaker. Spross’ younger brother, Andrew, is a sophomore at Baylor University.
Spross currently works for Jessi Afshin of The Darling Detail, another Austin fashion blog, as a social media specialist. She interned for Afshin during the summer of 2016 and was hired afterwards as a result of her impressive work! Afshin is a UT grad and an established blogger with nearly 275K Instagram followers, and has been a mentor to Spross as she continues to grow the trendy tomboy.
Spross started The Trendy Tomboy in September 2016. She explains that bloggers make most of their money through affiliate links i.e. when someone buys an article of clothing or accessory she is wearing in a post via the link she provides, she receives a commission.
In addition to affiliate links like Reward Style, an invitation web tool for influencers which enables her to monetize her content, Spross is also able to make money through sponsored posts. Brands contact her directly to send products and negotiate a price for her to post them on her Instagram and blog. Spross works mainly with two photographers to shoot these posts 1-2 times per week.
Like so many other alumni, Spross learned time management from favorite teachers such as Mrs. Ferretter while at Vanguard. “I played sports and participated in quite a few other extracurriculars outside of school. Learning how to juggle these things along with all of my schoolwork has proven to be extremely valuable to me in college,” Spross says.
Spross’ advice for current students is simple: “Don’t compare yourself to other people. Set goals for yourself and make a plan for how you intend to achieve them. Always do what is best for you and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][mk_divider][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none”]
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Alumni are a vital part of the Vanguard family, and we would love to hear from you.
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Please keep Vanguard updated with any address changes. Submit any ideas or updates to chelsa_ressetar@vanguard.org
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