Global Scholar student Isabell Repalust wins 2025 PRism award for impactful student project
Isabell Repalust, a Global Business Management student who spent an academic year at RIT’s main campus in Rochester through the Global Scholar program, received the prestigious 2025 PRism Student Award. She earned the recognition for co-leading Hire Attire, a professional development event designed to help students feel more confident and prepared when dressing for interviews and professional settings.
“Winning the PRism Student Award is incredibly meaningful on both personal and professional levels,” Isabell shared. “It validates that taking initiative to solve real problems, even seemingly simple ones, can create a genuine impact.”
Delivering real results
The project was part of a strategic communication course where Isabell and her co-manager and classmate, Joe Byrnes, worked with a team of students from nine countries and ten U.S. states. Their goal was to address the lack of professional dress guidance in higher education, a challenge supported by both national research and a campus-wide survey. “We found that 75% of RIT students hadn’t received any instruction on professional attire,” she explains. “That confirmed the need for an event like this.”
The Hire Attire was timed to align with Career Services' résumé reviews and LinkedIn photo sessions. The booth featured local retailers, tailors, and professional consultants offering short, personalized consultations on everything from interview attire to workplace dress codes. As co-manager, Isabell oversaw the entire project lifecycle: coordinating roles within the team, securing partnerships with local businesses, tracking progress, and managing logistics. Her ability to lead a multicultural team and deliver real results, such as a 100% satisfaction rate and a 77.8% boost in interview confidence among attendees, demonstrates skills that go far beyond the classroom. “This project taught me skills that no classroom lecture could: arranging partnerships, crisis problem-solving, and measuring real-world impact,” she said.
Being an inspiration to others
Isabell credits much of her success to her coursework, especially Professor Frank Marra’s class and a concurrent project management course that gave her the foundation to plan, evaluate, and lead effectively. Working with local professionals also brought a new level of value to the event. “Partnering with retailers and tailors gave our event real authority,” said Isabell. “They provided credible, practical advice that made students feel interview-ready.”
The most fulfilling part of the experience was seeing how students walked away with newfound confidence. “When someone walked away from our booth standing a little taller, or when they mentioned feeling 'interview-ready' for the first time, that made all our planning worthwhile,” she said. “Knowing that our event sign now displays in RIT's School of Communication as inspiration for future students, and that 85% of survey respondents want similar workshops, proves we created something with enduring value.”
Through Hire Attire, Isabell also gained a deeper understanding of inclusive leadership and global teamwork. “Leading a team from nine countries taught me that leadership isn’t about controlling every detail. It’s about creating space where different perspectives thrive,” she reflected. “Cultural diversity became our strength.” Looking to the future, Isabell plans to carry these lessons into her career in marketing and communications.
“This project showed me how to turn ideas into impact,” she said. “Sometimes, the problems worth solving are the ones others overlook.”
