Ryanne Jordan

Though high school student Ryanne Jordan has been cultivating her love of the arts since she began dancing at age 3, her appreciation for fashion design didn’t come until she was a bit older.

The Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy was where the Sherman, Texas native's skills as a designer first blossomed. Under the tutelage of fashion veterans Margaret Roach Wheeler and Maya Stewart, Ryanne discovered her passion for textile design.

Ryanne hopes to eventually go to an arts college to continue her study of fashion design, and she notes that her multiple years of participation in the Summer Arts Academy have given her the learning experiences she needs to pursue her dream.

"It has opened up a lot of doors for me," she said, "[being with] these great teachers, these great classes you can take with people like me who love art and love what they do. It's been amazing. I've absolutely loved it."

Ryanne explained that, just like people of other backgrounds, her heritage of being a Chickasaw is extremely important to her.

"It's who I am and it's my family's history," she said. "It's great to be a young Chickasaw."