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TrendsJun 17, 2020
WJA Names its 2020 Female Veteran Grant Winner
This year’s winner is a Los Angeles-based designer and jeweler.
Latoya Boyd is a jewelry designer and U.S. Army veteran. The WJA Foundation has awarded her the 2020 Female Veteran Grant.
New York—The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation has named its 2020 Female Veteran Grant recipient.
Latoya Boyd, a jewelry designer based in Los Angeles, has been awarded the $5,000 award, which is offered to a U.S. military veteran to assist in their professional growth in the jewelry or watch industries.
The grant is sponsored by Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group.
Boyd served in the U.S. Army as a mechanic and was stationed in Afghanistan for a year. She was honorably discharged in 2014.
She studied jewelry and metalsmithing arts at Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, before earning a graduate gemologist diploma at the Gemological Institute of America, plus a computer-aided design certificate.
Additionally, Boyd earned a diamond jewelry repair certificate from John Fish Jewelry School in Las Vegas.
Now, Boyd is the proprietor of Latoya Boyd Jewelry, creating custom jewelry designs as well as a fine jewelry collection.
In a statement from WJA, Boyd said her grant would be used toward marketing, including copywriting and photography services, plus web hosting fees and bookkeeping software.
Sheri Ihde, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group’s direction of industry relations, commented: “Congratulations to Latoya Boyd on winning the 2020 Female Veteran Grant.”
“Jewelers Mutual is honored to be a continuing sponsor of the grant for the sixth consecutive year. This grant is not only a way of giving back to the industry, but it is bestowed on a deserving female veteran, who has the passion and desire to invest her talents in our industry. It’s very meaningful, and we’d like to thank Latoya for her service and wish her luck in her ongoing jewelry career.”
The WJA Foundation has funded hundreds of thousands of dollars toward education, business support and mentorship since its inception.
The foundation president is Brandee Dallow, while the Female Veteran Grant committee chair is Isabel Cajulis.
WJA conducts much of its grant fundraising at the annual Awards for Excellence. This year, it’s happening virtually on July 27.
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