Warren High School graduate and local entrepreneur, Paige Griffith, had the opportunity to jump start her career when awarded the Carol Christy Scholarship in 2013. Before graduation, she wanted to be sure she was pursuing the right career path for her. This led her to participate in the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program.

“There’s such a financial burden that comes with college; that’s why I chose to do the PSEO program. I was considering either the medical field or the business field. I didn’t know which avenue I wanted to take,” said Griffith. “PSEO allowed me to take classes for both.”

Once Griffith graduated from Washington State Community College with an Associate Degree in Business Administration, she continued her journey at Marietta College to pursue a degree in Marketing. The Carol Christy Scholarship supported her financially during her two years at a private institution.

“I was able to graduate without having any student loans,” she said. “If I had student loans, I probably would just now be thinking about starting my own business. But now I’m going into my third summer of it.”

Running a local business is a practice that Griffith learned from very young age by watching her parents work in multiple family-owned establishments. She now owns a powder coating company that she is passionate about.

“I think that [working for a family-owned business] is what kept pulling me back into the business world. If it wasn’t for entrepreneurs, if it wasn’t for small businesses; especially for Marietta, it wouldn’t make the community what it is,” she said. “Your competitor can walk into your store and buy something from you, and you would do the same for them.”

Griffith also enjoys setting trends in male dominated fields. Whether she is managing and dispatching trucks or powder coating wheels, she knows that she has a perspective different from her peers.

“It’s really cool because the businesses that I’ve been a part of, like powder coating, I don’t know many other ladies that do it,” she said. “It’s a totally different realm being able to own the business myself, make the calls and be the one operating it.”

Marietta Community Foundation supports philanthropy and efforts to improve natural, human and civic resources in Washington County through grants and initiatives. Founded in 1974, Marietta Community Foundation has grown to approximately $42.6 million in assets, oversees more than 300 funds and has distributed more than $22 million to charities while meeting rigorous national standards for operational quality, donor service, and accountability in the community foundation sector.

If you want to change the life of a local student, please contact Heather Allender at 740-373-3286 or heather@mcfohio.org.

Author: Katen Petty