MJSA Education Foundation Awards Three “Future of Jewelry Making” Scholarships

Tahnee Barbee is working toward a certificate in jewelry technology at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT) in Paris, Texas. After a professional career that ranged from working on a weekly newspaper in the 1990s to handling corporate finances, she decided in 2022 to turn a part-time jewelry-making avocation into a full-time practice. She enrolled at TIJT in 2023 and expects to earn her certificate at the end of this year. After graduating, she plans to seek a job as a bench jeweler while continuing to work on her own designs in her home studio.

This fall, Gigi Sui will enter her second year at North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston, where she expects to earn a certificate in jewelry making and repair in May 2025. "I've always enjoyed creating arts," she says, and initially hoped to pursue a career as a painter after graduating from high school in 2014. Instead, she taught herself basic wire-wrapping skills while working full time—first as a certified nail technician, then as a pharmacy technician—before realizing she wanted to pursue a full-time jewelry career. After graduating from NBSS, she'd like to work as a bench jeweler and eventually create custom designs.

For Daniela Villacorta, jewelry making is in her blood: her father has worked for Scott Kay and David Yurman, her grandfather was employed by major jewelry manufacturers in Peru, and she still uses tools handed down from her great uncles. She currently studies metalsmithing part time at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, while also working in the office of a nearby jewelry manufacturer, Mataci Inc. She's looking to earn her BFA in 2026 and ultimately have her own business focused on jewelry that explores cultural motifs and is based in sustainable practices.