|
By Emily Stegman
It's no small feat to earn Eagle Scout status. A Boy Scout must earn 21 merit badges, hold one or more positions of responsibility in his troop and demonstrate outstanding leadership, service and outdoor skills. It's the highest rank in Scouting and a designation only about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts pursue.
Jared Ross is one of them.
"My Dad will be proud of me because I still consider becoming an Eagle Scout one of my greatest accomplishments. When it all comes down to it, that's where it all started for me, where I became a young man and learned how to be a leader," he says.
Ross' zest for leadership continues to thrive and helped earn him a new award in 2006: GIA's Outstanding Distance Education Graduate of the Year. The award is presented annually by the Distance Education and Training Council to one GIA Distance Education student who exhibits high standards of academic and personal excellence.
This 23-year-old from Gering, Nebraska completed the Jewelry Business Management (J.B.M.) program in one year with an A average, while simultaneously learning about sales, repair, manufacturing and design through his job at Bentley Donovan Fine Jewelry.
"What really attracted me to the J.B.M. program was the fact that I wanted to work my way up in a corporation and I knew relying on my prior experience wasn't going to cut it," Ross says.
Ross first became interested in the industry while working part time for a "ma and pa store" at the age of 17. He admits the initial appeal of working in a jewelry store was the chance to dress up and talk to people. After a year, Ross wanted to know his industry better and completed GIA's Graduate Diamonds course.
"I was motivated to stay on top of my coursework because I was always looking to the future," Ross says. "And look where I am now!"
Ross' foresight led to the job he holds at Tiffany & Co. in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he sells fine jewelry at the store in the Bellagio Hotel. He hopes to become a store manager in the near future and, eventually, an industry leader.
"My favorite thing about this industry is getting to share in peoples' lives," he says. "I love the passion in this industry; we literally bring love to life."
Ross also completed the Graduate Jeweler program on campus in 2003 and is working on earning his Graduate Gemologist diploma. He says that even though there aren't many more GIA courses left for him to take, he plans to continue educating himself so he can always stay ahead of the game.
Vice President of GIA Education Brook Ellis says it was this dedication to the industry that helped earn Ross the award.
"We chose Jared as this year's outstanding graduate not only because of his excellent academic record and strong work ethic, but also because of his remarkable passion for the industry," Ellis says.
After moving through five Boy Scout ranks to earn his place as an Eagle Scout, Ross knows the value of taking things one step at a time.
"You have to learn to crawl before you can walk and GIA has done that for me," he says. "These courses have given me confidence to do what I do – and I love what I do! This will never be just a job for me, but a career."
|
