"No Harm Shall Overcome You"

Elizabeth developed an interest in the jewelry industry at a young age, and has since acquired an increasing appreciation for gemology and its unique capacity to combine both science and art. She has an interest in using her gemology expertise to contribute to personalized jewelry and gift items in the luxury market that will benefit cancer research. The WJA Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship will provide the means for her to complete her degree as well as the potential to open doors for her future career goals.

QUOTE:
“I am deeply grateful for receiving the 2025 Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship. As an autistic female embarking on a midlife career change, this award has given me the hope, confidence, encouragement, and opportunity to pursue my passion for gemology, professional goals and philanthropic goals in the jewelry industry."

Her love of art and design endured her teen years, leading her to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture and Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

A lifelong traveler, Lisa has taught art in the UK, West Africa, and Europe. She has special interest in the economic development of women and young entrepreneurs from under-represented groups.

Lisa is a proud member of the WJA and has profound gratitude for the Gabriel Love Fellowship. Her future plans include sharing jewelry making skills in volunteer programs abroad. Lisa's favorite quote: 'I AM/ I CAN.'

While obtaining her Associate’s Degree from Saddleback College in American Sign Language Interpreting, Cydney’s instructors had emphasized the frustration felt by the deaf and hard of hearing communities when trying to interact with the larger hearing community, and how rare it was for somebody to engage with them in a patient manner. Cydney witnessed this frustration while helping as an interpreter for a Deaf friend, as well as when employed at a fine jewelry location, and resolved to be an advocate for clear and compassionate interactions with that community. After completing her Graduate Gemologist diploma at GIA, her goal is to work as an appraiser. She also plans on creating content that is accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing communities. As an individual with dyslexia and dyscalculia, she also wants to make content that is accessible for those with learning disabilities so that they can not only share in her education and knowledge but ultimately feel empowered when selecting jewelry.

Oksana was born in Kiev to a Ukrainian-Russian mother and a Peruvian father. Growing up her family changed countries and continents three times where they settled in Canada (Montreal). Formally educated in four different languages, she is a true Citizen of the world and has weaved her knowledge of languages and cultures into her professional life. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Human Relations (Applied Human Sciences) from Concordia University (Montreal) and has worked extensively as an independent published writer/journalist. Oksana has also worked in finance and banking in the past 10 years as well as a multilingual certified and licensed translator and interpreter. Oksana’s love of fine jewelry is firmly connected to her maternal grandmother’s passion for gems and jewelry. At age 8, she received a gold ring with an amethyst and that gift changed her life. She always knew that she would eventually somehow end up in the fine jewelry industry. Back in 2001, without any prior or professional knowledge, she landed my first job at a high-end jewelry store, La Maison Birks (known also as Canada’s Tiffany). She recalls ending her sales pitch with “the diamonds are GIA certified”. Fast-forward a couple of decades and she is currently enrolled in the Graduate Gemology program at GIA.

After obtaining her Gemologist degree she wants to establish a digital presence with content that educates, entertains, and demystifies the jewelry industry. She strongly believes in the transformational power of education and is looking forward to developing initiatives with local jewelry stores and industry partners to educate youth in middle school and high schools from underserved communities on the lasting value of gems and precious metals.

"Thank you, I would like to assure Gabriel & Co. that your gift is not in vain, I will not disappoint. Your gift is in safe hands, and I will put it to use in a way that brings glory to God, the source of all good gifts and will make Gabriel & Co. proud. In 1 John 4:8, the Bible mentions that “God is Love”. When WJA announced me as a recipient of specifically the Gabriel LOVE foundation scholarship, I took it as a wink from God. Thank you, thank you, thank you again. Thank you for believing in my dream and for giving me the opportunity to turn it into a reality. Deeply humbled and incredibly grateful" - Oksana Membreno.

Joanna Parrish, born and raised in interior Alaska, is currently a Jewelry-Making and Repair student at North Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in English in 2018, she went on to serve with AmeriCorps for two years before pursuing her jewelry education working with low-income students.

A future 2022 graduate, she hopes to go on to work as a bench jeweler and to share her love for jewelry and metal-working with her community.

Zuhaila Aziz was awarded the WJA-Gabriel Love Foundation Student Scholarship, the annual $5,000 prize given to a female student enrolled in design or non-design courses through a jewelry or metalsmithing program.

This year’s recipient is Zulaikha Aziz, a human rights attorney and founder of Mazahri, a purpose-driven fine jewelry company pioneered on the principle that business should be a force for good in the world, and that jewelry can empower the people involved in each step of its creation, according to a prepared statement from WJA.

She’s new to jewelry, but Aziz has more than a decade of experience working with multilateral organizations, governmental bodies, academia, and civil society organizations. She is currently completing a Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) diploma at the Gemological Institute of America. She also holds a BA from McGill University, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a JD from Berkeley Law.

“Aziz’s love of jewelry and colored gemstones is grounded in her personal story and her Afghan heritage,” reads the prepared statement. “Her family fled Afghanistan in 1982 and emigrated to the U.S. during a previous war. Her grandmother was able to smuggle out ancestral jewelry, some of which was passed on to Aziz.”

Aziz said in the same statement, “I deeply felt the power and meaning of these precious jewels, not only in connecting us to the past, but in showing us the potential for future growth. My grandmother taught me never to forget where I came from and [to remember] my inherent human dignity.”

Xabrina Michel'li Thompson is a 22-year-old graduate of one of South Africa’s leading girls' schools, Epworth High School. She is pursuing a graduate gemologist diploma from GIA, for which she will use her scholarship funds.

She is a student member and the first woman in her country to join the Women’s Jewelry Association. Thompson works in the jewelry industry and as part of her duties and responsibilities she has traveled widely, particularly in Asia and the Far East, marketing and sourcing jewelry products. In this process she identified a business opportunity, which she researched and introduced to her employer. As a result, a subsidiary company was formed, in which Thompson was given a share holding. She’ll use her newfound gemological knowledge to develop a freshwater pearl, colored stone, and sterling silver jewelry brand. She also wants to establish a WJA Chapter in her home country in South Africa to help women in her country and community achieve their dreams.

Magan Martin Byron, who earned her BFA in jewelry and metalworking from the University of Georgia, is currently enrolled at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and lives in Athens, Georgia. Magan's passionate submission illustrated her dedication to upholding the high standards that GIA is known for and joining a community of jewelers who are honest, knowledgeable and trustworthy on what jewelry products are sold to consumers.

Magan says, "I've come across a disturbing amount of dishonesty since I began working in this industry. If consumers aren't able to trust what they're buying, they will stop buying altogether. As a future GIA Graduate Gemologist, I will ensure that I am always 100% certain about what I'm buying and what I'm selling, and in turn would uphold the integrity of the jewelry industry within the communities that I work and live in".