The Two Ten Footwear Foundation announced this week that it will partner with the Fashion Institute of Technology to provide a series of scholarships for students seeking careers in the shoe industry. The scholarships will benefit a range of students, from freshmen to professionals seeking continuing education.
“We have one goal in mind, to invest in the future of the U.S. footwear industry,” said Neal Newman, the president of Two Ten.
The cornerstone of the new partnership involves power shoe couple Sam and Libby Edelman. The Two Ten FIT Sam and Libby Edelman Scholarship will go to first-year students with a passion for footwear. The scholarship will also include an internship at Sam Edelman, which is working on expanding internationally to cities such as Hong Kong and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Edelmans have worked side by side for more than 40 years. Sam Edelman was the winner of FNAA’s Brand of the Year in both 2009 and 2012. The couple was also officially inducted into the Footwear News Hall of Fame in 2015.
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“Libby and I are proud to support the next generation of footwear industry leaders with the Two Ten FIT Sam and Libby Edelman Scholarship. We are honored to partner with Two Ten and FIT to give back to our community in such a meaningful way,” Sam Edelman said.
For those wanting to pursue continuing education, FIT and Two Ten will collaborate on scholarships through the school’s Center for Continuing Professional Studies. Two Ten will provide funding of $25,000 per academic year beginning next September.
“Thanks to the thoughtfully designed scholarship program they have established with Two Ten, careers in all aspects of the footwear industry will be possible for countless talented and deserving students. We are deeply grateful to them,” said Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT.
“Our FIT partnership represents a massive breakthrough and has a long, bright future ahead,” added Newman.
