An O’More College fashion merchandising alum who is currently on her way to being a double-Bruin, Reyes received the Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award at Belmont’s 2025 Scholarship and Awards Day, which celebrates racial and ethnic diversity by recognizing student courage, leadership and contribution to a culture of inclusion at Belmont.
Name: Janet Reyes
Class: 2022
Major: Fashion Merchandising
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Current Position: MBA candidate at Jack C. Massey College of Business and project materials coordinator at Tractor Supply Company
What does receiving this award mean to you?
Hard work pays off. I've been with Belmont for years – four years for my undergrad, wrapping up two so far now with my MBA. To be recognized by my professors and seen for my hard work means a lot to me, so I feel very humbled to even receive the award.
Why O'More?
I almost graduated from a different university, but something in me was like “no, I need to go back to school, and I need to really learn more about the fashion industry.” After searching for schools, I did an interview with Jamie Atlas and met Emily Kynerd, and they showed me around the program. I fell in love with the school, its mission and values. I really felt like this was the place for me. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s all been worth it.
How would you describe the environment at O’More?
Quite creative. There’s a lot of innovation that makes you think outside the box and forces you to become confident in your work. The professors really pour into the students –– I felt so connected, and it’s a very inviting environment for anyone.
What were your favorite classes at O’More?
Two classes come to mind. I took a fashion history class, and we had a specific project where we found a garment or a piece of vintage item from our family. I found a 1950s traditional guayabera dress from my grandmother, who passed away in Cuba, where I’m from. Sharing the garment and photos in class was so meaningful.
The other class was visual merchandising during my senior year. We talked about what visual merchandisers do, the job opportunities available and consumer behavior. I was one of five students invited to the Shop! Association, an organization for visual merchandising professionals. They came to Nashville, and I had the opportunity to do a retail innovation challenge and connect with industry professionals –– all of which influenced my path to finding my current job at Tractor Supply, where I get to travel and put all the project materials into new stores and remodels.
What has it been like coming back to Belmont for your MBA?
It’s refreshing to be back on campus. Now I’m established in my career and can connect with students at O’More about my experience and give back to that community. I’m also the grad president for our student grad council, which has opened a lot of doors for me as we work to build more student engagement, networking events and community service opportunities.
What’s next for you?
I'm thinking about getting my Ph.D. –– I would love to get into consumer behavior, analytics and learning the psychology behind customer buying habits. I’m just happy and blessed to be almost finished with my masters, and I can’t wait to see where life takes me.
What motivates you to keep leveling up in your education?
I am first generation college student –– my mom is a Cuban immigrant and came here without knowing any English. I used to always be her little translator, and I feel like I’m always just trying to give back to my mom for all she’s done for me as a single mother, working two jobs. When I graduated from O’More, I gave her my cap and gown and said "Mom, congrats to you too. You graduated as well." It brought tears to her eyes, it was a nice moment.
Reyes and her mother, at Reyes' graduation in 2022