Join Your TownBusiness 
Program catapults young woman’s education
Wed Oct 31, 2007, 01:52 PM EDT
Courtney Cook, an employee of Attleboro Jewelry Makers, has entered her freshman year at Bridgewater State College under a four year scholarship after graduating in June from Southeastern High School where she studied in the Advertising and Design Program.
"I talked often to Nancy Young, the owner of Attleboro Jewelry Makers, about this opportunity and she helped me get into the Co-op Program while working for her at the store,” Cook said. “She gave me projects so that I could gain hands-on experience in advertising and marketing. I designed holiday flyers, store signage, display cases, and exterior marquis. I even got to attend Business After Hours and staff our booth at the Tri-County Chamber event."
"Working in the Co-op Program my senior year helped me to see different ways to reach my goals and become a successful woman. I got to learn from someone who made a very successful career for herself and who offered me great advice. I experienced what life would be like after college when I enter the real world and set my own direction. My experience in the Co-op Program was key to my college acceptance and the contacts I made were very helpful in securing my scholarships. I look back on the experience and am so thankful for the opportunity. I learned and grew a lot, and am more knowledgeable about the real world and the places you can go if you set your mind to it, show dedication, and are willing to work hard."
Nancy Young said, "Courtney is the most recent young woman to successfully transition through my work-study program that I have incorporated into my businesses for the past thirty years. It's really a win-win for both the student and the employer. Many of my employees are first generation college graduates. I'm very proud of Courtney and her achievements and am pleased to help launch her on what I'm sure will be a successful career."
In 2000 Young was the Attleboro Chamber's first Athena Award winner. The Athena Award is given annually to an individual who leads by example and assists young women to reach their full potential. In 2002, Young was chosen as one of 125 women honored by the Women's Education and Industrial Union of Boston. Every Women's Voice: 125 Years of Women's Leadership is the title of the exhibition put together by the Women's Union, displaying portraits of 125 women throughout the Commonwealth who have
