Three Grade 12 students are leaving high school with a little extra cash after they each received a scholarship from the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce.

Graduates Irelynd Gadd of A.E. Peacock Collegiate, Jazmyne Sereda from Central Collegiate Institute, and Ana Star of Vanier Collegiate were all the recipients of the Chamber’s Entrepreneurial Scholarship in the amount of $250.  

The Chamber gives out this award to those that own and run their own small business while in high school and working towards becoming the future leaders within Moose Jaw.  

Peacock Collegiate graduate Irelynd Gadd says she was shocked when she found out she had won the scholarship.  

“I was really excited to hear that I got this scholarship because we get awarded and surprised with the scholarships on the day that we get our diploma,” says Gadd. “I had no idea up until that day of graduation.” 

Gadd runs her own beekeeping business, in which she makes unfiltered and organic raw honey, as well as lip balm from the bee’s wax. 

“I got started around two years ago when our friends got me started beekeeping and they were my beekeeping mentors,” she adds. “With that came the great opportunity to have fresh honey, and when I did my first harvest, I had a surplus of honey. I bottled it up and sold it and gave it away to lots of my friends.”

Honey Pic July 15.jpg Photo courtesy of Irelynd Gadd. 

She applied through an online form through the school that applied her for all the scholarships available, which asked her to describe herself, her struggles, and her accomplishments throughout her life.  

Beekeeping Pic July 15.jpg Photo courtesy of Irelynd Gadd. 

The $250 will go towards her education, as she is attending Lakeland College in the fall to take Agro-Business. Her plan after her post-secondary schooling is to return to her family farm, working alongside her dad and brother, while keeping her beekeeping business going.

Beekeeping Pic 2 July 15.jpgPhoto courtesy of Irelynd Gadd. 

Central Collegiate Institute recipient, Jazmyne Sereda has a very successful business called Glam Lashes By Jazz and says the reception to her winning the scholarship has been great.  

“All my fellow graduates, especially the girls were really congratulating because lots of them have come to me, and even if they haven’t come to me, they still know I have this business and that it’s really successful,” says Sereda. “I was really humbled in that aspect.”  

Getting eyelash treatment herself on a regular basis, she got the idea to possibly start her own business in the summer of 2020. After extensive research, she decided to take a lash course at the Style Academy in Regina, where she learned the ins and outs of eyelash extensions. In December of 2020, she passed her course, then she decided to start her own business Glam Lashes By Jazz in January of 2021.  

“One day I was in class and the name just came to me, I’m a pretty girly person. Slowly I started to get the clientele that I have today.” 

Sereda will be moving to Vancouver next month to attend Blanche Macdonald – a hair, make-up, and fashion school. She will be taking the one-year make-up artistry program.  

“It focuses on being a bridal make-up artist, basic make-up, and then I’ll also be doing the stuff you see in the movies, the SFX make-up and things like that.”  

The money will go towards furthering her eyelash education in the future. Her plan in the future is to eventually move to Kelowna, BC, and open up a one-stop bridal boutique that includes wedding dresses, make-up, hair, and more. She also wants to be a make-up artist on movie sets if possible.  

To conclude, Sereda wanted to take a moment to thank her parents for all of their support throughout starting her own business.  

“Both of my parents have been a huge help; they started their own business. I’ve always looked up to owning a business. It’s stressful but I just wanted to say thank you as they’ve helped me learn the ins and outs of my business.” 

Discover Moose Jaw was unable to reach Vanier Collegiate winner Ana Star for a comment on her scholarship.