Visiting Student From Ireland Explores His Passion
By the time Dylan Wallace was 16 years old, like many high school age students in Europe, he was expected to know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. A native of Northern Ireland, Dylan chose to study international hospitality management with a specialty in travel and tourism at Ulster University in Belfast.
Interested in learning the industry outside of his country, Dylan applied for Study USA, a one-year study abroad scholarship program run by the British Council. He was one of 54 students out of 300 chosen to participate.
Having traveled extensively to visit family living in Ireland, England, Australia and Las Vegas, Dylan knew he wanted to target the east coast so he could broaden his American cultural experiences. Although he was not familiar with Immaculata, Dylan chose to attend sight unseen from a pool of 70 participating colleges. IU had the classes and extracurricular activities that he was seeking. He quickly jumped into everything that caught his interest––the Dance Team, Fashion Group and serving as vice chair of the SGA Multicultural Council.
The requirement for the study abroad program is 15 credits per semester, mostly focusing on business classes. Always interested in fashion, Dylan’s experience in Immaculata’s business fashion classes inspired him to change his major to fashion merchandising.
Delving into various avenues within the fashion world, Dylan recently became an ambassador for a men’s makeup brand called War Paint for Men. Part of his responsibilities is to promote the products on his social media accounts. When someone buys from his posts, he makes a small commission. Dylan also personally uses several War Paint for Men products including concealer, foundation and eyeliner to define his eyes.
“I’m really for men’s makeup as it promotes equality for both men and women,” he states. “If women can have the right to look after themselves, why can’t men as well?” he asks.
Dylan found inspiration for his passion when watching British YouTuber Carl Cunard who creates health and lifestyle videos and promotes another makeup brand. The implied message that Dylan took from him was that makeup is for everyone. Although the idea of men wearing makeup is not mainstream in the United States, Dylan says that no one at Immaculata has given him any strange looks! His makeup looks natural, and he thinks that some guys might be willing to try it if they weren’t concerned about social stereotypes. Dylan is at the groundswell of a movement to normalize the idea of men’s makeup.
Dylan’s experience while studying at Immaculata and exploring the U.S. fashion industry in New York City has helped him consider pursuing visual merchandising, product development or even a career focusing on cosmetics.
Wallace is settling into a routine like most new students and admits he would like to stay at Immaculata longer. However, he will return to Belfast to complete his final year of college—now with a different career focus that only time and experience can unfold.