The MJSA Education Foundation has awarded $3,000 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarships to three students who plan to pursue careers in the trade: Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta.
Barbee (left) is working toward a certificate in jewelry technology at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT). After jobs in newspapers and finance, she decided to turn her part-time jewelry-making into her full-time profession. Barbee enrolled at TIJT in 2023 and expects to receive her certificate at the end of this year. She then intends to seek a job as a bench jeweler while continuing design from her home studio.
Sui is entering her second year at North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston, where she’s on track to earn a certificate in jewelry-making and repair in May 2025. She worked as a nail technician, then a pharmacy technician, before realizing she wanted to pursue jewelry full-time. Upon graduating from NBSS, Sui would like to become a bench jeweler and eventually create custom designs, she says.
Villacorta comes from a jewelry family: Her father was employed by Scott Kay and David Yurman, and her grandfather worked for manufacturers in Peru. She still uses tools handed down from her great-uncles. Villacorta currently studies metalsmithing part-time at Kean University in Union, N.J., while holding a job at jewelry manufacturer Mataci. She’s looking to earn her BFA in 2026 and start her own jewelry business based in sustainable practices.
The MJSA Education Foundation has handed out “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarships since 1997. More information about the scholarships and work by this year’s recipients can be seen here.
(Photos courtesy of MJSA Education Foundation)
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