As the end of the school year officially approached, the search for summer employment began for many New Orleans youth. Bridgeja' Baker, however, is ahead of the game.
   
The 11-year-old entrepreneur is already hard at work, preparing for the opportunity some adult business owners only dream of.
   
Baker, a Lake Castle Private School 7th grader, is the proprietor of Creative Jewelry by Bridgeja', LLC, which is a line of distinctive jewelry that combines fine crystals and gemstones.
   
So distinctive that her work will be showcased for locals and visitors on hand for this year's ultimate party weekend, for Baker has been chosen as a vendor at the Essence Marketplace & Art Expo 2009. 
   
Baker, whose creations take anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes to complete and include key chains and beaded bookmarks; all priced from $6.50 to $200.00, plans to make a few pieces on site during the expo, which will be held July 3-5 in the Morial Convention Center.
   
"I asked Bridgeja' (pronounced Bridge-Jay) if she'd like to participate in the expo and after she said yes, I e-mailed Essence to request a vendor's packet." Baker's mother, Bridgette told The Louisiana Weekly.
   
"Bridgeja' chose what pieces she wanted me to submit and we soon after, received a letter of congratulations. Bridgeja' is so humbled and excited. She's making jewelry every day in preparation for this event."
 
"Each piece has its own personality," says the younger Baker.   "When I am creating a piece, I start off by picking a strand of gemstones and crystals. Then, I look at my accents to see what will match-color, shapes, and sizes are key. I usually examine the pattern and beads to make sure the color scheme match perfectly. Then, I string up the beads and add accents that will create a unique piece. After that's completed, I use a crimp tool to crimp off the jewelry items. I guess designing unique jewelry pieces comes naturally to me."
 
All of Baker's creations are made with natural gemstones.
 
Thomas and Bridgette Baker had no idea of their daughter's talent for jewelry-making until an incident took place last summer.
 
An orthodontic emergency turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Baker family.
 
Bridgeja' was enjoying her mother's barbecue turkey necks, when a wire popped off of her braces. After learning her orthodontist's office was closed in Metairie, Baker's father Thomas, took her to a Mandeville orthodontist that was next door to a bead shop called Diva Beads.
 
Baker agreed to look around the shop with her father and was hooked.  The store owner mentioned a class that taught jewelry making and Baker enrolled in beading classes in June of 2008.  Baker and her father ventured to Mandeville for her Saturday lessons and it paid off. She headlined her first jewelry show just five months later; where she made an impressive $1,100.00 in sales.
 
This New Orleans East youngster is just one example of the trend of young America choosing an alternative to mainstream careers, according to the results of a Harris Poll survey released two years ago. The Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurial Leadership commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct an online survey of 2,438 youth ages eight to 21 regarding entrepreneurship. The survey showed that four in 10 young people would like to start their own business in the future, while another 37 percent believe starting their own business is a possibility.
 
The Kauffman Foundation, in conjunction with SCORE (Counselors to America's Small Businesses) also produced Gallup studies that showed seven out of 10 high school students want to start their own companies. six in 10 females and eight in 10 African-American high school students that participated were interested in starting a business.
 
Entrepreneurship has been a catalyst in the Baker's family success even before their daughter was born.  "I always had my business," says Thomas Baker.  I owned a grocery store, I sold briefcases and handbags in the French Market area and my wife and I owned a clothing store in Morgan City."
 
Baker's mother, a licensed clinical social worker and insurance agent, owned and operated a private psychotherapy practice, pre-Katrina.
 
The venture that is Creative Jewelry by Bridgeja' is a collaborative effort. Along with Baker's creative vision, her father manages the finances and her mother handles the marketing efforts.  "Bridgeja' designed her brochure logo," her mother says, proudly.
 
The Bakers have managed to maintain a sense of normalcy in their daughter's life, despite the success of her business; Baker spends time with friends, plays games on her computer and takes care of her Siberian husky puppies. And just like other girls her age, she's responsible for keeping her room clean.
 
Thomas and Bridgette Baker aren't the only supporters of their enterprising young daughter.
 
"My friends have been very supportive," says Baker, as a smile spreads across her face.
 
"They ask me to make pieces for them."
 
Even her school Headmistress is a customer. "The students know I love jewelry," says Lydia Butera, Headmistress at Lake Castle Private School. "I bought jewelry from Bridgeja' and so did a few staff members."
 
Baker's invitation to participate in the Marketplace Expo was announced at a recent awards ceremony at Lake Castle.
 
"We encourage all of our students to pursue academic as well as entrepreneur goals,"
 
Butera says. "She's just a great kid and I think it's wonderful that she'll experience this opportunity during the Essence festival."
 
At the age of 11, Bridgeja' Baker has the blueprint for not only success in business, but also in life.  "We believe in the rule of 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,'" says Bridgette Baker.  "Our family formula is love of Jesus first, Mom and Dad, yourself and others."
 
Early on, Thomas Baker taught his only daughter the importance of saving for a rainy day. "She saves 50 percent of her earnings for her future, she pays herself 20 percent and 20 percent is invested back into the business," he says.
 
This young entrepreneur also knows the importance of giving back. 10 percent of her earnings will be donated to the Louisiana SPCA.  And this summer, she'll present a check to Children's Hospital. Her goal is to donate to at least two organizations yearly.
 
Baker's father has also taught her the magnitude of sacrifice, work ethic and most important, a positive outlook. "I told Bridgeja' she didn't need a lot of money to believe in herself."
 
Despite the bleak economic outlook facing the country, Bridgeja' Baker is taking matters into her own hands, literally. Before the Marketplace Expo, she will be a featured vendor at the Renaissance Marketplace of Eastern New Orleans and was a keynote speaker at a local etiquette camp for girls on June 6.
 
After the Essence Marketplace Expo, she'll begin to design bridal party jewelry for two upcoming weddings.  Despite the success of her jewelry business, Baker plans to attend college to study pharmacy and open a drug store. "There's no stopping her." says Bridgette Baker.
 
To see more of Creative Jewelry by Bridgeja', LLC, go to the company website: creativejewelrybybridgeja.com.

This article was originally published in the June 8, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper