Donald Pollard

Liberal Arts, 1996

“ HACC is a staple in the community as the go-to institution for a quality education. ”

Donald Pollard is partner and head of business development at Startup Home US and founder and creative director at DONNSTERLING Group Inc. He studied liberal arts at HACC and graduated in 1996 before going on to earn his bachelor’s degree in communications from Penn State University. He then studied strategic management in fashion companies at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy and in 2013, earned an MBA in Fashion Management from LIM College in New York. Donald worked several years in the fashion industry and began lecturing and teaching fashion merchandising. In 2017, Donald spoke at TEDxHarrisburg.

HACC provided the foundation for Donald’s education: “While I had no plan after graduating high school, my dream (goal) was to study fashion in New York and Italy so I decided to get my start at HACC then transfer. And I did just that!” He understands the importance and value of a HACC education: “HACC is a staple in the community as the go to institution for a quality education.”

For prospective students, he would advise them to “Listen to your heart, find what drives you, what motivates you. Research which institutions will deliver upon your needs. Be active. Before committing to any institution, know who are the executives that sit on the advisory boards, research them and network with them. What are the traditional and non-traditional pathways to securing a job while enrolled and upon graduation? Think entrepreneurially, think intrapreneurially. Be creative, and most importantly, always ask yourself how will you add value to anything your name is attached to? Dream big, devise a plan, network and utilize all your resources to execute that plan. It’s imperative to strategize and establish a competitive edge amongst your peers.”