Join Your TownBusiness 
Young accepts Athena Award
Wed Oct 31, 2007, 01:56 PM EDT
Renowned for her extraordinary business and professional accomplishments, belief in her community, and mentoring of young women, Young was named the Attleboro-area's first Athena Award recipient.
A third generation goldsmith, she is one of the jewelry industry's most respected designers. Young studied in Paris, London, Florence and Athens after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design and spent time engineering and working with scientists from Harvard on NASA projects. She was formerly Art Director of four major jewelry companies, where she quickly developed a national reputation for jewelry design, and she has owned and operated as many as three different jewelry companies simultaneously, providing castings and findings for companies ranging from Tiffany and Co., to Reed and Barton Silversmiths. In the early 1990s Young became a supporting founder of the Jewelry Makers of the Attleboro's Charity Foundation, created to support the Sturdy Memorial Hospital pediatric unit and Friends of Attleboro Interested in Revitalization (FAIR).
When the foundation no-longer chose to operate the year-round facility, known as the Jewelry Outlet, Young purchased the assets and continued operation. She moved to improve the business and provide employment, internships, and other learning opportunities for local residents.
She has served as a mentor to young women interested in the arts, design, jewelry manufacturing and retailing fields. Her patience and compassion, and particular attention to building confidence and self-esteem, have resulted in over thirty young women going on to successful careers in business ranging from art directors to vice presidencies.
As a community leader, Young serves as a volunteer director on numerous local non-profit boars and provides generous support to local organizations.
