Assata Folasade King
Drexel University, LeBow College of Business
“Fashion icon, creative genius, business mogul, a Libra in the clouds.”
Fun fact about yourself: I played the alto saxophone for eight years.
Hometown: Collingdale, PA
High School: Academy Park High School
Major: Marketing and Organizational Management
Minor: Theater
Favorite Business Course: Business Law
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Awards –
- Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College
- Black Talent in Design & Fashion Fund Scholarship
- J. Drexel Scholarship | Drexel University
- Collingdale High School Alumni Association Scholarship
- Outstanding Student Performance | LeBow BRIDGE Learning Community
- Certificate of Merit in Professional Development | Drexel University
Leadership & Activities –
- Parsons School of Design Certificate in Fashion Industry Essentials (Sept. 2021 – Present)
- Bentley Hall Resident Assistant (Sept. 2018 – Present)
- Millennium Hall Desk Assistant (Sept. 2017 – Present)
- LeBow BRIDGE Learning Community (Sept. 2017 – Present)
- LeBow Dean’s Student Advisory Board (Sept. 2019 – Feb. 2021)
- LeBow Peer Leader (Sept. 2018 – Dec. 2018)
- Camp BRIDGE Ambassador (July 2018)
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Fox Rothschild LLP | Philadelphia, PA – Marketing Technology Co-op (Apr. 2019 – Sept. 2019)
- Johnson & Johnson | Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Customer Development Co-op, Neutrogena (Jun. 2020 – Dec. 2020)
- Goldman Sachs | New York, NY – Consumer and Wealth Management Regional Co-op (Mar. 2021 – Sept. 2021)
Where will you be working after graduation? I am currently still interviewing for roles, but I am determined to break into the fashion industry and work in a role in fashion design, styling or marketing.
Who is your favorite professor? Chris Finnin, EdD is my favorite professor at LeBow because he’s the very first professor from Drexel that I met. Since day one, he has completely embodied the spirit and energy of the business school. From his infectious passion to his ever-fitting bowtie, Prof. Finnin made my freshman and sophomore years so memorable, and he saw the ambition in me. I received many of my first leadership roles at LeBow through the help and recommendation of Prof. Finnin, and I’m forever grateful for that. I recently ran into him in LeBow after not seeing him for a few years, and he immediately said to me “The best there is, the best there was, the best to ever do it …” Honoring me in such a way really touched my heart because I know he continues to see the light in my future.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? You can make anything a business, even your creative passions. I always had a natural love for fashion and styling, but I needed to study business to understand how to bridge the gap and make it work for me as a career. I studied marketing across multiple industries on purpose to better understand its importance to the whole world. I’m now taking my knowledge to the fashion industry and using my lessons from business school to pursue my dreams.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My best piece of advice is to truly know your motivation for studying a business-related field. You should let your passions be the motivator, not just the money or the “big time” job.
What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I’ve been surprised by the way that being a business major has given me more worldly confidence because I have a knowledge that helps me better maneuver in society. I always knew I wanted to utilize my resources to give back to others, and studying business gives me the confidence to say I’ll do that one day.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have worried a lot less if I knew everything would come full circle like this! I really came into Drexel with a mindset of pushing myself to new limits to reach my goals, even when I was unclear on what those goals exactly were. I understand now that everything would still work out in my future even if I’d given myself more days to rest or more grace when not performing perfectly.
What business executive do you admire most? I admire Rihanna Fenty most as a Black business executive because she’s made an incredible transition in her career from being known just as a singer and fashion icon, to now being a multi-businesswoman! I’ve loved watching her career build over the years, and I hope to follow in her footsteps and have my own fashion house and eventually own multiple businesses.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of receiving this honor of being named one of the Best and Brightest of the Class of 2022 because it has been my latest achievement. I always see my most recent achievement as the one I’m most proud of because I know it’s leading me to my next achievement, and I’m thankful for each one on this journey of life.
Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire Camryn Honesty who has been a friend and classmate of mine since our first year at Drexel. Camryn is the hardest worker I know, and she balances so much from classes to leadership positions to expressing all her creative abilities! I love the positive energy she brings to everything and I’m so thankful to call her my friend and be inspired by her ambition.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I must definitely thank my mom for giving me the best advice growing up. She changed my entire perspective on life as a child when she told me that I didn’t have to choose to just be one thing or choose one career, but that I can be everything I want simultaneously. She always encourages me to express my multiple talents and to never compromise any of them. I attest my desire to give back to my community to constantly watching her generosity and willingness to take a leadership role to make a change.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- Have a leading global fashion house of which I am CEO and head creative muse and designer.
- Establish Philadelphia as the next known Phashion Capital!
What are your hobbies? Sketching, styling, modelling, singing, painting, rapping, daydreaming
What made Assata such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?
“While business students often don suits and ties, Assata King is a marketing major with a passion for fashion. She has laid a foundation of this passion with experience in other business areas, including cooperative-education experiences with a law firm, Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena and Goldman Sachs. She went above and beyond to weave those experiences into beginning her studies at Parsons School of Design and maintaining her fashion-focused Instagram page. Assata’s style and desire to infuse creativity of clothing into her business experience is how she brings her authentic self into every space. Assata is an invaluable addition to the class of 2022 because she brings an unmatched energy, and it causes people to be drawn to her.”
Porsche Johnson
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Programs and Program Manager,
LeBow BRIDGE
LeBow College of Business
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