NEW YORK CITY, New York (KVIA)—18-year-old Oscar Borges is currently studying fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and he continues to earn achievements.
A few weeks ago, he was awarded the Michael Kors Endowed Scholarship.
Borges graduated from Bel Air High School last year, where he was actively involved in numerous school activities. He was the senior class president, a student council officer, and the president of the fashion design club. He also co-founded and served as vice president of the National Honor Society chapter. Additionally, he was co-captain of the tennis team, competed with the Health Occupations Students of America, participated in the Texas Technology Students Association and trained as an EMT student.
ABC-7 interviewed him from his dorm room in New York. The 18-year-old explained that he had always gravitated towards fashion design and even started sketching in the second grade. In middle school, he was involved in theater tech.
Borges wanted to become an OB/GYN. He thought he would be studying pre-medicine at Baylor University.
But everything changed during his junior year, when he became involved in the fashion club at Bel Air High.
Rita Sanchez Garcia, the former fashion design teacher at Bel Air High, said Borges was a standout student despite not yet being enrolled in fashion design classes.
“I said, ‘Okay, you want to compete? I need to see designs.’ And so he did. He brought them in full color, and they were amazing,” Sanchez Garcia said. “He is an amazing young man. I mean, very well-spoken. He is just a well-rounded individual. He was at several clubs at Bel High School, and, so I was fortunate enough to get to know him. He competed with us. And so it was, you know, we’d meet after school or in between classes with the teams. And so he was just a very, strong competitor. And he was there to win. And so he definitely is very creative. So I am just so excited for him.”
Borges was able to create designs that would later compete in regional and state competitions. It was there that Borges realized he wanted to pursue fashion after high school.
The following year, during his senior year, Borges would enroll in fashion design. Borges said that under the direction of Barbara Pence, he was able to learn how to sew and create patterns.
“Very well-respected, and his by his peers and his friends. And he is very phenomenal as far as his sewing. Very meticulous. And he would pick up the techniques very quickly. And he was just awesome,” Pence said.
As he continued to grow in this craft, Borges realized fashion is his true life calling.
Borges would apply to the highly competitive Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. Borges said FIT only accepts less than 10% of design students.
After months of waiting, Borges received a letter while he was on a school trip in Dallas.
“When I opened it, I just read that first ‘Congratulations, and I was just jaw-dropped. I just like, sort of shaking my sister. I was like, I couldn’t even find words,” he said.
Last summer, he moved to NYC.
“I’ve heard so many new languages. I’ve seen so many different people, tried so many different types of food. It is a very fast-paced city. It’s very, like, you get to where you run around, but there are a lot of areas where I can relax. There is a lot of leisure; there’s a lot of community here.”
Borges is currently enrolled in the fashion design program.
Earlier this year, he was nominated for a scholarship by one of his professors. Borges would create a unique collection, inspired by human anatomy, derived from his other passion for medicine.
During the final round, Borges was able to show his portfolio to renowned designer Michael Kors. He had about 15 minutes to meet with him and explain his designs.
“You bring in physical garments for him to look at and just kind of tell your life story to him, and hopefully he would connect. He was a great guy who’s super humble. He was easy to talk to, and he really did relate a lot of experiences to things I was telling him,” he said.
Borges would later learn that he is the recipient of the Michael Kors Endowed Scholarship. The full-ride scholarship covers a year-long study in Milan, Italy.
Borges encourages others to take the leap of faith and to bet on themselves!
“You can never predict what’s going to happen in your life. It’s just this rollercoaster of events, so you might as well take the chances. You can take the opportunities.”
Borges also said he would like to pursue knitwear couture after graduating.
If you have a Good Vibes Only story idea, please e-mail rosemary.garcia@kvia.com.