Beauty Beyond Boundaries: Estée Lauder inspires SCAD students to explore the beauty industry

Written by Autumn Griswold. Graphic by Autumn Griswold.

“I didn’t get there by wishing for it, hoping for it, but by working for it.”

It was a beautiful sentiment to start the Estée Lauder Companies’ Presentation with. This quote, from Mrs. Estée Lauder herself, set the stage for what the panel would be about: enthusiasm.

All students in attendance brought enthusiasm. Hosted on Oct. 1, 2025, at Gutstein Gallery, the event brought company representatives from Estée Lauder’s Global Talent Acquisition department to share their insights into how the beauty world is a diverse industry. The panelists emphasized the importance of collaboration and how every major has a place in beauty.

This sentiment landed for everyone in the room. Students from all disciplines made the large space in the gallery feel cramped as they gathered to listen to the presentation. Everyone from Business of Beauty and Fragrance, Fashion Marketing and Management, Advertising and Branding, to even Visual Effects, Film and Television, UX Design and Illustration were in attendance.

One of the panelists, Sherry Xiao Cung, spoke about how desirable SCAD students are to Estée Lauder, based on the university’s wide range of programs. Having worked for the company for the past six years as an Assistant Manager, she knew what made a prospective employee desirable, too.

“It’s not about how you convince them … it is how you showcase your passion,” Xiao Cung said. Her words echoed the event’s overall message: that authenticity and enthusiasm often speak louder than titles or degrees. It does not matter if a student is studying in the schools of building arts, visual communication or even the school of film and acting. As the panelists emphasized over and over again, everyone is welcome in the beauty world. “You do not have to be to belong,” Xiao Cung said.

Estée Lauder’s messaging also inspired SCAD’s 2025 Saluratorian, Lea Bagi, to apply to their leadership program in between her junior and senior years. After working with the brand in New York over the Summer of 2024, Bagi knew that Estée Lauder, and specifically MAC Cosmetics, was the place for her.

“Just because your major is your major, it doesn’t mean you can’t explore outside of it,” Lea said to the students at the panel, having been given the opportunity by SCAD to come back and speak. Having earned a B.F.A. in both Illustration and Advertising and Branding in 2025, she truly embodies the idea of creativity transcending disciplines.

As a double major, Bagi learned to merge visual storytelling with strategy, and she has been able to carry those skills into her work for MAC Cosmetics. Her experience as a student and professional highlights the flexibility of a SCAD education, where students are encouraged to explore beyond their major-related bubbles.

Alumni like Lea Bagi are desirable to Estée Lauder, not for their degrees and titles, but for their enthusiasm. The company has stayed true to its founder’s vision of seeing the potential in everyone and letting everyone have the chance to prove themselves through hard work. As Bagi said at the panel, “Have an open mind. Embrace your talents and your passions.”