The MJSA Education Foundation, the non-profit arm of Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America, has named the recipients of its 2024 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
MJSA provides scholarships to students pursuing professional careers in jewelry production and design.
Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta received $3,000 scholarships.
They were picked based on their educational background, professional goals, academic performance, recommendations, and financial requirements.
Tahnee Barbee is pursuing a certificate in jewelry technology at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT) in Paris, Texas, with the goal of earning it by the end of 2024.
With her certificate, she intends to work as a bench jeweler while also creating her own designs in her home studio.
Barbee began her professional career managing corporate finances for a weekly newspaper. In 2022, she decided to convert her part-time jewelry-making pastime into a full-time job.
Gigi Sui is pursuing a credential in jewelry manufacturing and repair from North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sui, who is in her second year, hopes to get her certificate by May 2025.
After graduation, she hopes to become a bench jeweler and eventually make personalized pieces.
“I’ve always enjoyed creating arts,” said Sui, who had wanted to be a painter but instead became a licensed nail technician and then a pharmacy technician.
While working full-time, she learned herself basic wire-wrapping techniques and chose to pursue a full-time career in jewellery.
Daniela Villacorta plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in studio design from Kean University in Union, New Jersey, with a graduation date of 2026.
She is currently studying metalsmithing part-time at Kean and works in the office of Mataci Inc., a neighboring jewelry maker.
Ultimately, she hopes to start her own firm, focusing on jewelry that explores cultural influences and adheres to sustainable principles.
Her father worked for Scott Kay and David Yurman, while her grandparents worked for prominent Peruvian jewelry producers.
Villacorta claims she utilizes equipment passed down from her great uncles.