There are multiple students at Camas High School (CHS) that gain real world working skills through conducting their own business. Claire Dewey is a junior at CHS and runs a nail business. Brianna Mazilu is a junior at CHS and also runs a nail business. Annabelle Reese is a junior at CHS and she runs a jewelry business. These students have implemented many different processes for building their business.
Dewey’s business specializes in gel X nail art which is a type of nail extension that offers natural looking nails. Her work can be found through her Instagram @nails_by_claire.d.
“I love doing intricate and unique designs and sending clients away with beautiful nails! I enjoy being able to connect with my clients and use my creativity to bring their ideas to life,” Dewey said.
Dewey’s pursuit of a nail art business led to many learning curves, time and practice to be able to develop it into a working business.
“I put a lot of time into practicing and practicing and practicing. I observed and learned from others, and then made tweaks to my own technique in order to get better,” Dewey said.
Once she gained the proper skills and technique, she was able to market her business and gain working experience.
“I have learned a ton about running a successful business and what goes into that like budgeting, tracking profits, scheduling, customer satisfaction, professionalism, etc. I also believe that it has added a lot to my resume and my qualifications as a college applicant,” Dewey said.
From what started as a simple interest for art, Dewey has gained tremendous real life experiences that can help her in future years.
Mazilu also has a business that specializes in doing gel X nails. She started with a passion for art and wanted to explore new nail options without the expensive price of a salon. Mazilu’s work can be seen on her Instagram @nails_by_bri16.
“I do it because it is something I like to do. I enjoy being creative when it comes to nails and this allows me to show my creativity,” Mazilu said.
While Mazilu may not have started doing nails with the intention of turning it into a business, the encouragement of family and friends quickly turned it into something that many were interested in.
“I decided to actually make it a business and post all my prices and promote,” Mazilu said.
Mazilu believes this will help her substantially in life outside of the business.
“This will help me in the future because it can be a great source of income, help provide financial independence and help improve business skills,” Mazilu said.
Mazilu wishes to pursue promoting and succeeding in her business so that she can spread her passion of nail art to clients and continue to gain important knowledge and experiences.
Reese specializes in selling handmade jewelry products through her business Belly Bears Boutique. She took inspiration from her grandmother, using her creativity to make jewelry. She started by making simple beaded necklaces as well as complex enamel pieces.
“After a while, I realized that making jewelry was something I wanted to take more seriously. My grandma had always offered to help me start a business, and one year I decided to ask her for help. This led to the design and creation of my jewelry business. I made a logo, created an Etsy account, and started to list my products and sell them,” Reese said.
Reese has been able to take this business to different vendor nights, as well as the website Etsy. From this, she has gained many experiences.
“In the process of making the business, I have gotten to experience business management skills, as well as managing my time. This means taking my business seriously and making good quality products, as well as managing my school work and other activities,” Reese said.
All three of these CHS students have put a great deal of work into growing their business and have been rewarded with many lessons and experiences gained.
