American River College fashion major and Claudia Godinez is hoping to use new scholarship funding to start her own fashionable clothing line for plus-size women.

Godinez won a $500 scholarship from the Sacramento Chapter of the American Sewing Guild for her experience and previous work as a college student.

Godinez has attended American River College since 2018 after obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship at Chico State University.

Godinez says that she was introduced to sewing at 15 years old and enjoyed it so much that she wanted to do it as a career, and her goal is to own a plus-sized clothing company.

“I have always struggled to find plus-size clothing that is cute and actually fits correctly,” Godinez said. “I would like my own company where I can create clothing that fits that need and can help women feel confident when wearing my clothing.” 

The ARC fashion program has helped Godinez learn and improve the skills needed to succeed in the industry.

“This program has helped me to learn how to create patterns that can be specific to every body type and how to figure out what best works,” Godinez said. “The instructors here have helped to teach me not only construction skills but also digital skills that are very important in this industry.”

Although distance learning can be a struggle for others, Godinez says it is easier for her because she still lives in Chico and has more time to work on projects.

“I feel like I have had the chance to challenge myself and see what I can do on my own,” Godinez said. “I can definitely still create because we are able to rent out the class dress forms and I can work on them all day, whereas if we had class I would only have the dress form when I am physically in the classroom.” 

Godinez has used the scholarship to increase her fashion collection for the following semester.

“I want a quality collection because it will help me build a better work portfolio for future jobs,” Godinez said. “I have also used some for funding my Etsy shop I currently operate.”