1st Quarter Scholarship Winner…meet Kathy Angus!

We are so pleased to announce our first 2012 winner of the Chris Lelay Design Scholarship. Please meet Kathy Angus!  Creative invitation designer, admin extraordinaire, and the queen of perseverance!

In her own words…

My name is Kathy Angus (Hello Kathy), I am 22 years old and addicted to paper and fonts! I currently work at a car dealership as a receptionist+.  I call it a receptionist+ because the more creative my boss find out I am the more things he gives me to do. I started out attending Georgia State University in pursuit of a degree in Education. I wanted to work with young children because of the free spirit they have at that age. Their creativity is so inspiring. I recently have decided to pursue a degree in Graphic Design.

I spend most of my time staring at computer screeens, checking out the newest fonts, or burying my face in wedding magazines looking at the hottest styles. I know 2012 is my year to shine because according to Pantone the wedding color combination for the year is tangerine tango and hot pink (my company colors)! I am energetic, fun, and hardworking. In every project I take on I try to convey those same characteristics through my work. Working with clients to convey their personalities as well as my style is one of my favorite things to do. The fact that I get to add a little joy to couples and be a part of one of the most important days of their lives is priceless to me.

I try my best to live by the Maya Angelou quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I find that people find their own special ways of providing happiness for others, my just so happens to be invitations and greeting cards.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS:
Paper Kutz creates handmade wedding/event stationery and greeting cards. I focus on conveying the couple’s wedding feel to their guest before the wedding with my invitation line. My greeting cards focus on conveying feelings from one to another (or plenty others) by personalizing and attention to detail.

HOW WILL YOU MARKET YOUR BUSINESS:
My plan are to see Paper Kutz in lights….. but I’ll start with magazine and web advertising first. I plan to advertising with the Knot, Brides Magazine, MArtha Stewart, and other wedding avenue. I already have a Twitter (@Paper_Kutz) and a Facebook set up for my company. A lot of my business comes from the best advertising there is…..word of mouth (the original twitter and Facebook.)

WHAT AREAS WILL YOU SERVE?
Right now, I serve the Metro Atlanta area but as time progress I want to load my online store with more template designs for people to choose from. Then I will serve the world!

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE YOU SHOULD BE GRANTED THE CHRIS LELAY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP?
After reading the biography of Chris Lelay and learning that she worked hard to place herself and woman ahead of the games I know that I too am a hardworking woman and believe that I would make her proud if I was able to meet her. I was blessed to have a mother that trained me and my sisters to be strong women ready to take on the world. I will work hard to reach the heights that I see Paper Kutz at when I close my eyes. People say that the grass is greener on the other side, I only believe that its that way because someone is over there working to keep it that way. I will work to get Paper Kutz to amazing heights and work even harder to keep it there. Being granted the Chris Lelay Memorial Scholarship means a lot to me because it will help me take my company to the place i dream it will be. (fingers crossed)

Why we chose Kathy…

It is rare that I both laugh and cry when reading an entry…her words stood out to me at once. I am always looking for drive, motivation, perseverance. I spoke with her references and they would NOT let me off of the phone.  Her current boss went on and on and on about how Kathy always looks for things that need to be done without asking, always contributing by suggesting improvements to the business – as an admin, not a manger. He stated that while he wanted her to win, he couldn’t bear to loose her so he hoped she could do both!  They talked about her set backs financially and how she scrimped and saved when friends her age where out on the town, so she could have the funds to purchase materials for her business.   I spoke with her…I just knew. She is ALIVE in every sense of the word. Always upbeat, unwavering hope and excitement for the future.

This girl is going to go far in whatever she does, and we hope to be with her every step of the way. Congratulations Kathy from the Gals of SFM!