By Loren Andrews ’18, Staff Writer
When most kids get a concussion, they stay at home and rest. Others use their time to catch up on sleep. Jacky Norris ’16, however, started a business.
Norris got a concussion at the end of February break. With an abundance of free time, she started making necklaces. Since Norris enjoyed the process of making necklaces so much, she turned this arts and crafts project into a business Psyk. design.
Because she has always been passionate about gender equality, which she believes can be accomplished through education equality, she donates 10% of all Psyk. proceeds to Days for Girls, an organization which provides girls in indigenous countries with hygiene products during menstruation so they can attend school.
“Creating inspirational accessories that also help support a cause I am passionate about was something that I’ve always dreamed about doing,” Norris said. She believes that girls should still be able to receive an education even if they do not have the resources to afford sanitary products.
Norris’s idea to make her necklaces into a business started after she tried to recreate a necklace she purchased over the summer in Venice Beach. “I kept fixing things and improving my methods and materials until I created something that my friends wanted to buy,” she said.
Norris hopes to expand Psyk. into a lifestyle brand in the future. “I want to make more than just necklaces, and I’ll go wherever it takes me,” she said. “Knowing that I created something that people love and wear all the time is one of the most amazing feelings,” said Norris.
The business, however, is more than just making fashionable necklaces. “The brand is about girls inspiring girls, so when someone buys a necklace, they are not just getting a trendy accessory, but they are giving other girls the opportunity to accomplish their dreams” said Norris.
Norris hopes to continue making necklaces and to expand the brand in future years. “It’s fun because whenever people ask me what I want to be when I grow up I say ‘CEO’ and now I can call myself one,” she said. “If I could run this company for the rest of my life I would be ecstatic.”