“I started my jewelry business so I could carry on the legacy that my grandma Mattie started. She taught me how to make jewelry and when she passed away, I wanted to honor her because she was my inspiration so I make jewelry and sell it to help keep her memory alive,” said Mattie Edwards, entrepreneur.
At 22 years old, Mattie has lived through a lot of troubling times.
“I lived in a van for five years with my mom and brother. I missed grades fourth through eighth and then entered the foster care system. I had three foster families and they weren’t all good experiences.”
Being so young and living through tough times has not made Mattie bitter but rather a soft-spoken, kind yet strong, mature young woman.
“I tell my friends who are going through rough times that it will be okay and they need to pray because believe it or not, there are people that are going through worse times than theirs. I also believe in karma. People who have bullied me and called me names, I just believe that one day, it will come back to them. I’ve already seen it happen.”
Mattie has taken control of her life and hires her own staff. Her Supports Coordinator is helping her look for a job which will allow her to buy more jewelry supplies. “I would like a TV news personality to wear a piece of my jewelry and promote it so I can make more sales. Down the road, I want to own a restaurant/jewelry shop and have a house. I’m working on getting a driver’s license. I have a lot of things that I want to do and I am going to stay positive and get things done!”
