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News

UH honors retail leaders

Student earns Emerging Star scholarship for excellence in merchandising leadership

by KHYATI PATEL
The Daily Cougar

As consumer science and merchandising senior Christine Goins accepted the Emerging Star Student Scholarship Award during a ceremony Friday at the River Oaks country club in the company of some of the most prominent retail figures in Houston, the luck of a flexible scholarship deadline hit home, she said.

Goins had planned to apply for the award last fall, but bogged down with finishing classes last semester, she missed the Dec. 4 application deadline by a day.

"(A) couple of weeks passed by, because I'm completely crazy busy with finals and working full-time," Goins said. 

Goins learned shortly thereafter, that Department of Human Development and Consumer Sciences associate professor Shirley Ezell had extended the deadline because of increased student interest.

As a result, she entered her submission.

"The next week I got a call from (Ezell saying I had won)," Goins said.

Local retail leaders were also awarded at the Merchandizing Star Awards luncheon, which featured UH alumna and KPRC-TV anchor Dominique Sacshe as master of ceremonies.

Arlene Baranda, owner of Artisan Designs in Rice Village, was awarded for her achievements in merchandising.

Other honorees included Donna Vallone, co-owner of Vallone Restaurant Group, George Wilson retired vice-president of Foley's, and April Hinkle, associate publisher and senior vice president of sales and marketing for Texas Monthly.

The Emerging Star Student Scholarship is given to merchandising students who show dedication and leadership while pursuing a degree in consumer sciences.

The Merchandizing Star Awards are given in an annual ceremony.

"This event is a retail celebration," Ezell said in a release. "Every day our distinguished honorees come to work and make an impact in their community and the retail marketplace. UH merchandising graduates have the best of all worlds -- a retail community that embraces innovation coupled with a professional education and limitless opportunities for managing dynamic global retailers."

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