Sophomore business and finance student Trevor Smothers transferred from Missouri State University to seek change. He found that at Washburn.

“Springfield wasn’t for me. I transferred after my first semester to a community college back home in Kearney, Missouri while I figured out what I wanted to do next. I googled ‘schools in Kansas’ and Washburn popped up,” Smothers said. “I heard about how good the business program is and it’s affordability. After a visit, I decided that Washburn was where I wanted to be.”

Like many students, Trevor appreciates the small campus and classes. He also enjoys the ease of finding good friendships.

“At Missouri State, my smallest class was 100 people. Here, you can get close with people. I like walking on campus and seeing friendly faces,” Smothers said.

Smothers and a friend have started their own clothing company called LifeStyle Apparel. Started in March 2018, the company is two months away from celebrating its one year anniversary.

“We were both motivated to start a business, so we decided to come together and think of ideas,” Smothers said. “One of our common interests is clothing, so we did the numbers and thought, ‘why not? Let’s just go for it, see where it goes’.”

The duo started their endeavor by marketing LifeStyle Apparel on social media.

“At first it was mainly just our friends following us. We posted different designs and had them vote on which ones they liked,” Smothers said. “From there, we bought t-shirts from a wholesaler and printed our designs through a local screen printer in Kearney. It took off from there.”

Since moving from Missouri to Topeka, Smothers has seen both benefits and needs for adaptation in the business. 

“We go to two different schools in different states. The hardest part is having to skype a lot in order to discuss the business. A benefit is that we now have two campuses that we can personally distribute to,” Smothers said.

The goals for LifeStyle Apparel are like those of any young company, growth and awareness. Smothers has a message of positivity that he hopes to share through the business.

“LifeStyle Apparel is all about never giving up and pushing to overcome life’s challenges in order to pursue your dream life style. We donate a portion of every sale to the organizations ADA and JDRF,” Smothers said. “We’ve also done a Fall Festival in the past where we made pink shirts and donated money to the Susan G. Komen foundation.”

His passion for helping others is apparent in his friendships.

Freshman graphic design major Elana McDonald believes Smothers is a hard working, kind hearted individual. 

“Trevor is a passionate guy. He’s hard working and always puts his friends, family and school before himself,” McDonald said. “He is one of the most kind-hearted guys I have met. He is dedicated to what he does and won’t stop unless he’s happy with the results.”

Lifestyle apparel has expanded their selection to include hats and hoodies in addition to t-shirts. You can find them on Facebook at LifeStyle Apparel, Instagram at real.lifestyle and Twitter at Real_LifeStyle_. Their website is www.theLifeStyleapparel.com.