An Iowa State alumna, Ana Hays McCracken, gave $100,000 to The Fashion Show, the largest endowment to the student organization to date.  

McCracken is a 1984 Iowa State University graduate in fashion merchandising. After graduating from Iowa State, McCracken went on to become a writer and is currently the executive director of the Thistlewood Foundation, based in San Francisco, California.

The $100,000 will go toward the Ana Hays McCracken Fashion Show Producers Scholarship, awarding The Fashion Show producers for leading one of the largest student-run organizations in the nation. This year’s producers, Emilee Meyer, Maggie Anderson, Hannah Nation and Alexandra Johnson, are the first recipients of this scholarship award and newly appointed scholarship position.

“I think it is so humbling of Ana [McCracken] to provide such a generous scholarship to four women she barely knows,” said Maggie Anderson, senior in apparel, merchandising and design and an outreach producer for the show.  “It will not only help me after graduation but will set me up for success.”

According to the College of Human Sciences News article, McCracken first attended the show in 2012 and has ever since tried to support students who produce the show.

“I am very honored to be one of the first set of producers to receive this scholarship,” said Alexandra Johnson, senior in apparel, merchandising and design and managerial producer for the show.  “It shows that we put in a lot of hard work and dedication into The Fashion Show and shows that this program and organization continues to grow and create leaders. It’s exciting to know that this will continue for future producers of the show.”

In 2014, McCracken and her husband, Ed McCracken, started providing four-year tuition scholarships to apparel, merchandising and design students who possess and portray leadership qualities.

This year’s scholarship winners are senior Sarah Waigand, sophomore Grace Rosson, and freshman Rachel Lininger.  All of the recipients possess a leadership position in this year’s production of The Fashion Show.