Living the great American dream is the most important thing in the world. The last four years have been just that for me. Walking away from what I would call the real world to experience college life is just that. When I look back to September 2001, and to the present to see just how much I have accomplished. Most people would never do it at my age or even think of it.
How has it effected me? Would I do it again? Yes would be my answer. To know how many young peoples lives I have touched. The most important thing to remember is to have a dream to begin with and some sense of direction. Because if you don’t you will find yourself always grabbing at straws. I know this to be true from my own life experiences.

This year has caused me to look back to when I was sixteen years of age. When I told my mother that one day I would own a boutique. Well that happened, but didn’t fulfill my true dreams. Now I know that God has a time and place for everything to come to past. To know first hand what our young people are faced with, but if you have God nothing is impossible.

Vanessa Henderson, is a new fashion designer of formal and evening wear from Reidsville, North Carolina. She makes a statement by bridging the fashion gap with colors and hues of hot pinks and golds that enhance the beauty of all shapes and sizes. Vanessa feels you are always beautiful when you learn how to first love yourself. Inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli a French fashion designer who was a daring, flamboyant fashion innovator, she popularized brilliant colors, especially shocking pink, and had a quote stating, "Never fit a dress to the body but train the body to fit the dress". With her line which will be called Van Miller by La’Vie Designs she intends to do just that. Van short for Vanessa and Miller in memory of her mother. She has been sewing and designing since 1975.

Vanessa is the wife of Raymond Henderson Sr. and has three children Tequila, Lakisha, and Raymond Jr.. From 1980 to 1996 she owned and operated a boutique in North Carolina called Vanessa’s Bridal Image and was very successful with designing bridal attire for all size wedding parties locally as well as nationally.

Vanessa who is a recent Bauder College graduate was inspired to return to school by her older daughter Tequila. Who knew that attending school had been her mothers life long dream. With this in mind she sent her a application for mothers day. Vanessa moved to Atlanta in September 2001 to get a degree in Fashion Design. While attending Bauder College Vanessa was the Student Ambassador for the Fashion Design Department. Production Manager for the design group Calabo, member of Sigma Lamda Chi {Honor Society}, Fashion Design Association, and SIFE. Received such honors as the Designers Choice Award 2003, Bauder College Theatre of Design Award 2003, Connections Award 2003, Who’s Who Among Students In American Junior Colleges. Vanessa feels that it is never to late to return to school and fulfill your dreams.

When a design team was formed at the end of the spring quarter in 2002 and we had completed a line of denim. I knew that it was possible to experience that rush of unbelief and excitement. But none of that was as important as the day I walked up to the outside of Phipps Plaza and saw my senior collection in the window next to Saks Fifth Avenue. No one knew how glad I was to see my name on that little piece of white paper in that window. It let me know that the American dream is still possible, that I’m destined for greatness. Since that time a lot of shows and awards have come about to help to enhance who and what my life is truly about. It’s that nothing is promised over night and that it is a process. We have to learn as a people that if we help each other to reach a goal that we all win in the end. I thank god for knowing that.

If I could change any thing in the world it would be that for every child who wanted to go to school, there would be nothing to keep them from doing just that. Our country seems to waste money on everything else in the world, but our children of the future. After being here at Bauder College and to have experienced first hand that money situation, there is a problem. We say we should always prepare, but everyday life doesn’t allow that for every household in America. We must allow them to be able to live the dream to. Live on young people and stay focused, because it only takes a dream. "When you have a dream. Good things happen through you, to you and all around you! I have a dream.”