(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK, NY — The Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) Foundation announced the recipients of its 2025 scholarships, who have been awarded a combined total of $38,370 in scholarship funds to support their educational and professional growth.
Designed to nurture growth and innovation, each scholarship reflects the unique legacy and values of its namesake and highlights WJA’s ongoing mission to support and advance women working across all areas of the jewelry and watch industry.
“These scholarships are about more than financial support — they are about encouragement, opportunity, and opening doors,” said Nikia Levesque-Meyer, President of the WJA Foundation. “We are so proud to stand behind this year’s recipients and excited to see the impact they will make.
Learn more about our scholarship recipients:
The 2025 Stuller Bench Jeweler Scholarship has been awarded to Alejandra Garcia, a Colombian jewelry artist and founder of Oh Voilà Jewelry. Designed to foster growth in the bench jeweler career path by providing crucial hands-on training to aspiring women professionals, Alejandra is dedicated to advancing her technical skills and committed to teaching filigree to future generations as the Stuller Bench Jeweler Scholarship recipient.
The 2025 Hedda Schupak-Baum Memorial Media and Communications Scholarship has been awarded to Nadja de Sá Van Diest, a bench jeweler and storyteller based in Colorado. Created in memory of Hedda Schupak, a respected journalist and editor, this scholarship supports individuals pursuing careers in jewelry media, communications, or related fields. As the founder and host of Pass The Torch: Legacies in Jewelry, Nadja was selected for her outstanding promise in shaping the industry’s narrative and amplifying diverse voices. With support from this scholarship, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in journalism to deepen her impact as a communicator.
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The 2025 Helene Fortunoff Women in Retail Scholarship has been awarded to Shannon Sallis, an accomplished retail executive with 25 years of leadership experience at Signet Jewelers, passionate about leadership development and empowering women to build lasting, impactful careers in the jewelry industry. This scholarship, established by the Fortunoff family in memory of their late mother, Helene Fortunoff—a trailblazing woman in the jewelry industry and a founding member of WJA. The scholarship supports rising retail leaders by providing them with opportunities to advance their careers in retail through education and management training.
The 2025 Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship, created in memory of longtime WJA Board member and industry advocate Cindy Edelstein, has been awarded to Ani Khachian. Khachian is a second-generation Armenian-American jewelry designer and the founder of Ani Fine Jewelry. Established in honor of Edelstein’s dedication to mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs, the scholarship provides funding for jewelry design, metalsmithing, or business courses aimed at enhancing artistic skills and growing their designer jewelry business. Ani Khachian was awarded for her creative vision and dedication to advancing her craft in design and metalsmithing.
The 2025 Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship has been awarded to Elizabeth Alli, a gemology student pursuing a Graduate Gemology degree through the online program at the Gemological Institute of America. Established by the Gabriel Love Foundation of Gabriel & Co., this $5,000 scholarship supports students who aspire to use their careers in jewelry as a way to give back to their communities. Elizabeth Alli has been recognized for her dedication to combining professional success in jewelry with a commitment to social impact.
The WJA Student Scholarship supports students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at accredited schools. Elle Jerge, the 2025 Student Scholarship recipient, is a jewelry designer pursuing her BFA in Jewelry Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Her work unites storytelling, femininity, and technical innovation. She has completed design collaborations with brands such as Movado and LoveShackFancy, and recently interned with the Women’s High Jewelry team at David Yurman.
Finally, the WJA Foundation Membership Angel Fund provides financial support for membership dues, ensuring that passionate individuals can access the benefits of WJA membership regardless of financial barriers. These 2025 recipients represent a diverse and promising group of future leaders in the field: Hoda Rahbarnik, Paulina Aguilera, Marilyn Grando, Virginiah Nyambura, Atieh Tootoonchi, Temidayo Ogunleye, Dariia Diachok, Geeta Van Goethem, Tiffany Bennett, and Sandra Tourne.
The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation is honored to support this year’s recipients as they continue their educational and professional journeys, and looks forward to the contributions they will bring to the jewelry and watch industry.
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To learn more about the 2025 scholarship recipients, please visit here.
