Year: Junior
Major/Minors: English; German and Linguistics
What are you involved in on/off campus? “I am involved in Sigma Alpha Iota, a professional music fraternity. I have found that my sisters are a great supportive presence in my life at CNU! I am also a writing consultant at the CNU Writing Center, and an English language tutor at Northern Virginia Community College.”
Would you encourage current students to participate in any particular of these? Why? “I would for sure. SAI is a great community and I believe anyone who’s taken a music course should see about getting involved!”
What was your favorite memory at CNU? “In one of my on-campus jobs at the Ferguson Center I got to drive around the Celtic Women. That was pretty sweet. My favorite memory at CNU, though, is meeting my best friends. I lived across the hall from them freshman year, and since I was tripled in Santoro they were a welcome escape from the craziness of my room!”
Tell me about your store, what do you sell? “I sell leather products that I hand make in my store Holy Cow Leather Company.”
What is the meaning/inspiration behind your store? “In this day and age I feel like we all become disconnected from reality. As an English major, I study, read, and write on my computer. Doing leather work and seeing something come to life enriches my life. I love the feeling that I’m crafting something from nothing, especially when I design something new.”
What is your favorite product to make and why? “I love making backpacks and bags. Thus far I’ve only made one of each, but I’m planning to make more messenger bags. I love the look of them when they’re complete, and it’s very rewarding to see something so complex come together.”
How did you start making products in the first place? Where did you learn? How did you improve? “I am completely self taught, which surprises a lot of people! There are plenty of resources and it has taken me a long time to develop my skills. I found my passion through a love for leather bracelets. I happened upon a beautiful leather cuff bracelet when I was visiting Austria, and wore it until it fell off my wrist. I was unable to find another that I liked as much, so I started making my own from leather scraps. Eventually this developed into an interest for other leather products, and Holy Cow was born.”
Where can interested readers find your products, both in store and online? I saw you were at the most recent CNU Farmer’s Market. “Yes! I was so glad to see you there! I have a website, an Etsy account, and I attend most of the CNU Farmer’s Markets. If you’re interested in what I’ve made but don’t necessarily sell, I have an Instagram with a gallery of my work.”
What inspires your creativity? “Leatherwork to me is a form of stress relief, so when I’ve had too many hours of writing essays I turn to my workbench.”
What are you most proud of in regards to your store? What are your long term and short-term goals for your business? “I’m proud of how far I’ve come as a leatherworker. I can look back at the first wallets and bags I made, and my products look way more professional. My hope is to reach the point of having a leather workshop where I can craft (as opposed to my room) and maybe even a retail store! We’ll see how it goes!”
What advice would you like to give to CNU students that would like to open their own shops or work as independent creators? Any advice for balancing passion and adulting? “I would advise you to plan first. There’s a lot of work behind the scenes even beyond the hours you’ll spend making products, and there’s a lot of legal paperwork, business planning, and marketing to deal with – this part is not as fun, but the rewards are great. I really love my business and being a leatherworker, but as I’m in school I put my studies first.”
What are you doing after graduation? “I’m planning to grow my business and have a 9-5 job on the side, haha. I’ll hopefully go into publishing or some form of editing. One of my goals in life is to live in a tiny house in Maine, so hopefully I can find a job up there!”
What is one interesting fact or hobby about you? “I usually say my interesting fact is that I make leather wallets, so this is a hard question! I love singing and considered being a vocal performance major instead of an English major, but ultimately decided to keep music in my life and use my writing and editing skills as a career.”
All product photographs courtesy of Suzzane Howard