Notable New Schoolers

Singer, songwriter, poet, and businesswoman, Ani DiFranco started her own record company at the age of 18. After moving to New York City, she studied at The New School where she focused on poetry. There, she also met poet Sekou Sundiata, who became a friend and mentor.

As a Parsons student in the MFA Design and Technology program, Roth spent years exploring the expressive possibilities of technology. Now an acclaimed artist, he recently received the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. His work is part of the Museum of Modern Art's collection and is exhibited worldwide.

Anna Sui is a world-renowned American fashion designer and an alumna of Parsons School of Design. In her nearly 30-year-long career, she has created award-winning garments for various sportswear companies and products for Google, Anthropologie, and Samsung. In 2009, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in recognition of her classic yet forward-looking designs.

Mercedes Molloy transformed a personal experience of sexual violence into a passion for empowering individuals recovering from gender-based violence. While still a student at Eugene Lang College, Molloy launched Safe Squad, a global personal safety app that earned her the title of 2024 Woman of the Year for the Women's March Foundation and a spot on Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 list.

Dubbed by the New York Times as the "woman who dresses America," for her role as President and Creative Director at J.Crew, Jenna Lyons has become one of fashion's most influential creative voices. Jenna enrolled in Parsons' BFA Fashion Design program soon after arriving in New York, beginning her journey through the wilds of the New York fashion scene.

Nelson Barbosa is an economist and Brazil's former minister of finance. He received a PhD in Economics from The New School for Social Research, where he focused on Structuralist Macroeconomics and systems that act as obstructions to financially developing underdeveloped nations.

As a student at Mannes School of Music, Nadine Sierra became the youngest winner of both the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition. Sierra has performed at operas around the world, including the Paris Opera, the Berlin State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera.

Labeled “an unsung hero” by Newsweek, Ana Oliveira has dedicated her life to human rights activism. After graduating from The New School for Social Research with an MA in Anthropology, Oliveira became the first female and Latino executive director of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). In 2006, Oliveira became the CEO and president of The New York Women's Foundation, a nonprofit that pursues economic security and justice for women and girls.

Tracy Reese set new standards in women's ready-to-wear fashion after studying at Parsons School of Design. Working under French designer, Martine Sitbon, Reese branched out, becoming head of the Women's Portfolio for Perry Ellis, and eventually starting her own line of resort wear housed in flagship stores in New York and Tokyo. Her celebrity clients include First Lady Michelle Obama, and in 2007, she was invited to sit on the board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Bill S. Ritter is an award-winning journalist, and was already a New York City institution before enrolling in the bachelor's program for adults at The New School. Bill is currently co-anchor of WABC-TV New York's Eyewitness News, where he investigates a range of topics from drug use amongst young Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn, to fire safety in NYC apartments. His early roots in activism have informed both his journalism, and his coursework at the university where he was a highlighted student speaker at his 2016 graduation.

BFA Fashion Design graduate Donna Karan is a household name in American fashion and entrepreneurship. While a Parsons student, Karan interned at Anne Klein, where she cut her teeth as an associate designer. With her husband, Stephan Weiss, Karan launched her eponymous company in 1984, and quickly carved her niche in fashion, designing for working women who needed luxurious but functional garments.