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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Sarah Heidebrecht, paprika@k-state.edu
Photo available. Contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-6415.
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-6415, bbohn@k-state.edu

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008

K-STATE GRADUATE STUDENT IN APPAREL AND TEXTILES WINS NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FROM FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES ASSOCIATION

MANHATTAN -- A Kansas State University graduate student has won a $5,000 fellowship from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Sarah Heidebrecht, a master's student in apparel and textiles, McPherson, is one of 14 winners of a 2008 Jewell L. Taylor National Fellowship. The award is presented to qualified graduate students pursing a degree in family and consumer sciences.

Heidebrecht, who plans to complete her master's degree in August 2009, would like to use her experience working in the corporate, nonprofit and education sectors to improve the lives of women.

After earning a bachelor's in apparel design from K-State in 2001, Heidebrecht worked in the corporate sector for a few years as a textile designer. She also designed children's accessories at OshKosh B'Gosh in Oshkosh, Wis.

"I switched my focus when I realized I would rather work with people than for people," she said. "This led me into education. I embarked on the adventure of teaching in Japan for two years through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, and then teaching elementary school in the U.S. after that."

Heidebrecht credits the support she has received from the faculty in K-State's department of apparel, textiles and interior design, as well as College of Human Ecology staff and colleagues, with helping her in her studies and her career goals.

"I appreciate the time they have spent on my professional development, their insight and their passion, which have helped me strive to do my best, no matter what the situation," she said. "Human ecology is such a broad spectrum of specialties and professions geared toward the circumstances and environments that specifically affect people. I'm grateful that K-State's College of Human Ecology reflects this philosophy," she said.

Heidebrecht's research areas include social welfare and cooperatives, particularly the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the demise of its apparel industry. With her master's degree, she would like to work for a nonprofit organization that specializes in women's development, with a focus on the clothing and textile sector.

"To me, this means working with communities and programs, both nationally and internationally, that have an emphasis on development and sustainability so these women can attain a better standard of living and future," she said.

Heidebrecht is active with the New Community Project, a nonprofit organization based in Elgin, Ill., that promotes peace through justice, care for creation and experiential learning. She traveled to Burma this summer with the organization. In addition, she is a member of K-State's Apparel and Textiles Graduate Student Organization. She also participates in projects with the Mennonite Meeting Church in Manhattan and the Church of the Brethren in McPherson.

The daughter of Larry and Kathy Heidebrecht, McPherson, she is a 1996 graduate of McPherson High School.

The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is the only professional association dedicated to family and consumer sciences professionals. It strives to improve the quality and standards of individual and family life by providing educational programs, influencing public policy and through communication. The association's Jewell T. Taylor fellowship honors the memory of Taylor, a dedicated family and consumer sciences professional for more than 50 years who spent most of her career in Fort Worth, Texas.