By Izzy Stein, Features Editor
There are very few students on campus who can go about their time at LIU unnoticed. Aliya Couillard is not one of them.
A senior fashion merchandising and management major, Couillard is certainly no stranger to turning a look. Throughout her 4 years, she has rarely missed the mark aesthetically. But don’t be deterred by her vintage Miu Miu sunnies, Gucci x Adidas shoes, or thrifted Diesel sweater—because the mind behind each creative vision is just as multifaceted as her ensembles.
When she’s not captivating attention across campus, you can find her captaining the soccer team, editing news stories for the newspaper, or brand managing as vice president of marketing and public relations for the Student Body Collective.
However, the jack of all trades we know and love today didn’t always plan to make her mark on the shores of Long Island.
Born in Miami, but grown in Seattle, Couillard’s symbiosis to urban life is heritage. Although the possibility of New York always inhabited a space in her conscience, Post wasn’t always on the radar.
Recruited to play soccer during the pandemic, her journey to the school is better credited as a discovery.
“I was visiting a school in Missouri, and all of a sudden, I got an inkling to go to school in New York. As soon as I got home, I searched up all these schools that were in the city and I came across LIU Brooklyn,” she explained. “I reached out to the coach on the women’s soccer team and quickly realized that the soccer team was not in Brooklyn…but it was kind of the only offer that stuck and the idea of being so close to the city was so appealing, so I ended up signing and 4 years later I’m still here”.
Despite her unexpected beginnings and some questionable class choices, the common comfortability in city life seemed to seep through into her academic pursuits.
“I came here first thinking I wanted to go into forensic science and then quickly learned after taking my first bio class that it wasn’t for me…Then I switched to journalism but realized I wanted to focus on fashion, so I eventually found fashion merchandising,” she said. “I’ve always had a love for writing and fashion from a young age. Growing up in a major city, it can be hard to stand out, so I kind of used those areas as an outlet for my own expression.”
What 3 words would she use to describe her journey at LIU?
“Eye-opening…Rocky…camaraderie,” she recounted.
It seems camaraderie has played a foundational role in her personal experience and her perceived understanding of the universal college experience.
“I’m going to miss seeing my closest friends every day. College is unique for each individual, but you never really get to experience an environment like this again,” she said. “Even the people you see every day but might not necessarily hang out with—the people that you exchange “hellos” with or smile at on campus…it’s just a unique type of community.”
Couillard’s advice to future sharks: embrace the journey, and read poetry?
“The college experience is never going to be linear,” Couillard explained. “You know I was in this yoga poetry class and we read a poem called “The Guest House” by Jalaluddin Rumi, which is basically about letting in every emotion as a guest in order to learn from every experience. So, don’t let every bad situation deter you from the possibility of a good one because there could be something unexpected behind a closed door”.
As she looks towards the future, occupational aspirations in the realm of marketing and PR are but a small role in the grand scheme of Aliya Couillard.
“Aside from I guess the career plans I have, I know I want to keep learning and growing and to understand that you’ll never reach your peak—there will always be something to learn from…of course I want to be happy with whatever I am doing, but as long as I am finding enjoyment I think it will be alright…just gotta stay cool, calm, and collected,” she remarked.
Though nothing in life is certain, if her legacy at LIU serves as any indication for what is to come, there is a lot to look forward to for the local legend (and a lot more Pinterest boards awaiting her style inspiration).
Be First to Comment