#1. 59 and a Freshman 

At the age of 58, it appeared that Nancy Volpe Beringer was living a dream life. She had recently married, received a much sought-after promotion, and enjoyed a healthy and financially secure life. She had reached the pinnacle of her accomplishments - and it became quite the success story on the surface, especially for someone who once worked four to five jobs as a single parent. Below the surface, however, Nancy was afraid to dream. The hidden side of her story included too many unhealthy and failed relationships, both personal and business related, which lead to being a victim of bullying on multiple occasions throughout her adulthood. She would put on a happy face, but suffered in silence and embarrassment.

One frightening and courageous decision changed Nancy’s life for the better. “I felt like my oxygen was being siphoned off at my new job, and I was once again allowing myself to be bullied. That is when I knew I had to change my unhealthy cycle,” she said. Walking away from her hard-fought job security was certainly not an easy one, but it was a necessary one.

One sleepless night at three in the morning, after being inspired by her sons’ successes, Nancy asked herself a tough question: “What would I want to learn if I were young again?” Her answer came almost immediately - fashion design. It was one thing to fantasize about it, but did she dare to dream it? Did she dare to try and make this dream a reality? “My sons' and husband’s encouragement gave me the strength to do just that,” Nancy acknowledged. They were her biggest supporters throughout this journey.

It was undoubtedly her trips to Florida with her husband and meeting her friend and consignment shop owner, Elizabeth, who mentored and encouraged her that sealed the deal. “I always liked to look and fantasize about high fashion in magazines, but could never afford it until I started thrift shopping in Florida and got to see first-hand the intricacies of well-made garments. That was where I really learned to appreciate the construction and fabrication of garments. This was vital in wanting to study it.” When considering the program, it also didn’t hurt that she had learned to sew at 12 while at summer camp. “I sewed through patterns and sometimes deviated from them but that was the extent of my design experience."

When the ambitious 58-year-old first started researching fashion design programs, she immediately looked to New York. She was thrilled when she stumbled upon a one-year program at one of New York’s top fashion schools. When she brought this news to her husband, his response was, “I thought you were doing this for the love of learning; so why would you want to rush that learning?” And he was right, so Nancy expanded her research and discovered that one of the country’s top fashion design schools was right in her own backyard. Not only was Philadelphia’s Drexel University’s Fashion Design Program internationally acclaimed, it was the only program that offered Nancy a chance to pursue her dream of studying fashion design while also earning a Master’s of Science with its three-year program.

Before she knew it, she was 59 and a freshman. “I loved it. I felt like I found my home, and most times forgot that I might look a bit different than my much younger classmates,” Nancy stated. She even came to see the humor in frequently being mistaken for the teacher.

Even though she was having the time of her life, it was difficult on many levels. An 80-hour school week was typical; many times it surpassed 100 hours a week. She admits her age did play a factor and it took a physical and mental toll on her. Midway through her program, she had to deal with the onset of painful arthritis, but did not let that stop her. She looked at it as just another obstacle to overcome.

One of Nancy’s proudest accomplishments were when, for the first time, she had the courage to stand up to one of her fellow classmates that was being a bully. It seemed her unhealthy cycle was finally changing. Since that moment, she has steadfastly worn a “no hate” bracelet as a daily reminder to live her life with passion but more importantly, with kindness and compassion.

Through standing up for herself, Nancy was able to overcome the embarrassment and self doubt inflicted when bullied. Fortunately, she found camaraderie with many of her classmates who not only became her creative collaborators, but also her lifeline for staying strong and positive. It was during this time that Nancy realized she had an opportunity to be a positive role model for how people, especially women, could support each other in the workplace. She also quickly learned that she had a great opportunity to learn from her younger classmates.

“I attended more twenty-first birthday party celebrations in those three years than at any point in my life. I found myself turning 60 alongside the people turning 21, and I realized that my age was my strength.”

She recognized that she had a secret weapon: experience. “I was able to appreciate the process of getting to the runway senior year and, more importantly, enjoying it.” She went on, “In today’s world, we are being accustomed to instant gratification, information and results. Everything is so immediate, like it is right there. My professional background easily translated into an understanding that design is a process; it doesn’t happen the first time or the second. “

Nancy is the first to admit that she did not conquer all. She humorously explains that she will never master the art of illustrating. But she did discover other strengths– her love of exploring and manipulating fabric to create new textiles. “I loved my Materials Exploration class. We always had to explore different and new materials to create unique textiles, and I would just let my mind go wild. I would take stuff; I would burn it; I would microwave it; I would put it on a grill and even set matches to it. I loved seeing what would happen and where it went. It was pure oxygen for me.”

She has enhanced her fabric manipulation skills through independent study and master classes, which paid off during her senior year. She created revolutionary new textiles and in many ways reflected her journey. She named her senior collection “The Titanium Collection” after the song “Titanium” by David Guetta. “It just resonated with me. Every time I got knocked down, I got back up and moved forward. I felt bulletproof.” Nancy’s hard work paid off. She won a record setting seven awards at the Drexel Fashion Show including five awards for her Titanium eveningwear collection. But best of all, she won the respect of her peers, teachers, and industry professionals.

The newly graduated designer’s success continued past graduation when Philadelphia’s premier fashion store, Joan Shepp, featured her eveningwear collection in its iconic holiday window. In addition to her custom design work, she is Joan Shepp’s freelance in-house designer, who also carries her one-of-a-kind designs. Her passion for collaboration includes artistic partnerships with former professors, workshop presentations, and inspiring others as a keynote speaker.

The past year has also been filled with success as her Grammy red-carpet look for Grammy-nominated Tierra Whack went viral as one of the most outstanding looks on the red carpet and she was invited to participate in Philly Fashion Week with acclaimed reviews.

Her goal to do something relevant in fashion has never been overlooked, and has led to some of her most rewarding work in teaching refugee women sewing, textile and business skills for the Philadelphia’s Refugee Women’s Textile Cooperative. Just in the past year, she has used her fashions to support many organizations that are empowering women and aiding children.

Nancy’s thirst for learning continued after graduation. Her continuing studies included an on-line draping class out of Paris; innovative pattern making courses at the world’s #1 fashion school, Central Saint Martin; and a series of couture sewing classes.

And so, the dreams continue. As the Founder-in-Chief of “Age Fifty Nine,” Nancy Volpe Beringer hopes to share stories to inspire others to never give up hope; to encourage the perseverance through all obstacles; and above all, to remind everyone to never hesitate to dare to dream.