Fashion Show

Description of Experience:

We were approached by one of our former classmates from when we

were in College Notre Dame de Nazareth. She asked us to join them as seniors to walk in their

annual fundraising fashion show. We will walk down a runway wearing various brands and

sponsorship labels.

Name: Cindy Tohme and Caren Tohme

Date: April 4, 2019

Grade Level: IBDP 1

Title of Proposed CAS Experience: Fashion show for College Notre Dame de Nazareth seniors

Member(s): Cindy Tohme, Caren Tohme

Type of Experience: (select all that apply)

Activity

Experience Status (is this a new experience or an ongoing project)

New

Timeline: (location of the experience; how often; Time length of the experience)

Date: May 3, 2019

Length: One day

Location: College Notre Dame de Nazareth – Ashrafieh

Personal Goals of the Experience: The main goal of the experience is to get out of our comfort zones.
This experience is new to the both of us. Also, it would be nice to reconnect with old friends.
Furthermore, we are hope that this experience will help us take new risks in the future and experience
more. Another goal is learning to become more confident in ourselves and be more proud of the body
we are in.

Intended learning Outcome (s):

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth.

LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

LO4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experience.

How we intend to reach the identified Learning Outcome(s)

LO1: By doing this activity, we are identifying which areas of our character we are most comfortable
showing to people we do not know. Also, we will discover our insecurities, which will help us in future
experiences, as well as in life. Furthermore, we may discover that we are in fact confident enough to
walk down a runway and may develop a new hobby. Another way of achieving this outcome is by
developing communication skills by meeting new people and rekindling friendships.

LO2: The challenge is having the courage to walk in front of people we have not spoken too in a long
time. Another challenge is getting out of the comfort zone we are in. From these challenges, we will be
able to develop better communication skills and undertake future experiences that will push us further
away from our comfort zones.

LO4: We will achieve this LO by showing up to the event, as well as following up with the students,
prior and after the fashion show.

Student Signature (s): Cindy Tohme Caren Tohme

Tuesday April 16, 2019
3:30 PM
Today are the fittings for the fashion show that will be taking place on May 3rd. I am currently on my way to the store that will be sponsoring my sister and I, and many other girls, with formal dresses.
4:30 PM 
I have just finished the fittings. My sister and I will be wearing the same dress but in 2 different colors since we will be walking on the runway together. Although the smallest size of the dress available is still a bit large on me, I think I will manage.

Friday May 3, 2019
3:45 PM
I have just finished school and I am currently on my way to the venue where the fashion show will be taking place 3 hours early in order to rehearse once before the event starts. Initially, the rehearsals were supposed to be yesterday, but the event planners postponed it until today. Along the way, there were many changes in the schedule, showing that the event was not as organized as I would have expected it.
6:00 PM
The models from other brands are starting to get ready in the changing rooms and the audience is beginning fill the venue. However, the brand I am modeling for still has not arrived with the dresses and I am beginning to stress. Will they get here on time? Will I be able to be ready before it is my turn to walk on the runway? Negative thoughts started to fill my head and I quickly push them out by reassuring myself that everything will turn out okay in the end.
7:15 PM
I was right. The dresses arrived not long after and we started getting ready not long after that. There were only two makeup artists for 60 models and there wasn't much time left, so I decided to ask my friend to do my makeup instead of waiting for my turn.
8:45 PM 
My friends came to support my sister and I, and we were both very grateful for their presence. As my time to walk on the runway was getting closer, they were helping me reduce my stress.
9:30 PM
I am currently 5 minutes away from walking on the runway with my sister and another person that I have just met who is also sponsored by the same brand. My dress was still a little large on me so I tried to pin the side with a safety pin to make it smaller, but the material of the dress was too thick so the pin did not hold.
10:00 PM
The feeling of walking on a runway was a feeling of joy mixed with exhilaration and awe. I was surprised that the number of people watching me as I walked down the runway did not make me as anxious as I had previously imagined. It made me feel confident and powerful. I had faith in myself and kept reminding myself that no matter what happens everything will be okay. The dress was very long even while I was wearing high heels, so I had to find a way to hold it up while I walked. All in all, everything went well. The feeling of anxiousness disappeared the minute I set foot on the runway, and I wished I could experience the feeling of walking that runway all over again.
10:50 PM
It has been 45 minutes that I am looking for my bag that I brought with me from home that has my clothes and my personal belongings, and it is nowhere to be found. I found the clothes I was supposed to wear scattered around the changing rooms instead of on the chair where I left them when I changed into the dress before the show. I gathered my clothes and personal belongings and then found my bag a while after under a pile of clothes that did not belong to me. I managed not to stress as much when I arrived to the changing rooms and could not find my belongings. That was when I realized a huge improvement in myself regarding my stress management. Overall, this experience taught me that I am capable of so much more than I believe and that I should never let my doubts get the best of me. Whenever I see an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone, I should take it. For example, before today, I thought a million times of telling the organizer that I did not want to participate anymore simply because I was too scared to be in front of such a big audience. After I participated in the event, however, I realized that this experience was truly an opportunity not to be missed as it has taught me so much about myself that I had previously never realized simply because I stayed in my comfort zone instead of seizing new opportunities and taking advantage of new experiences.

Learning Outcomes Reached: 

LO1: Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.
I realized some improvements in my ability to handle stress levels, and this experience helped me further apply the techniques I have been practicing to overcome this barrier.

LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
This experience helped me apply the techniques I have been practicing to overcome stress.

LO4: Show commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences.
I attended every practice, try-on session, and was able to push through the barriers in my way in order to attend and participate in the Fashion Show.