By Rachael Myer
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 17, 1998

Student has jumpstart on job market

Many UA students graduating in May wonder whether they will be able to support themselves with just an undergraduate degree.

But Victoria Luety, a communication senior who co-owns a local beauty boutique, is living the dream many hope to one day accomplish.

Together, Luety and her fiancé Matt Chessen, a University of Arizona alumnus, own bellisima, located at 7123 N. Oracle Road. Luety said that after seven months of hard work, the Oct. 10 grand opening was cause for celebration.

"I am really proud of it (the business), and it influences how I think of things," she said. "I value the experience and education the most."

Offering an array of cosmetics, bath and body products, fragrances, home accessories and books, bellisima, which means "beauty" in Spanish and Italian, has done well since its doors opened, Luety said.

"This is fun for me," she said. "It is such a great experience. It is great to come to work every day."

For three days before the store opened, Luety said, sleep was hard to come by.

Luety, who put off school last year to work in Washington, D.C., as an assistant buyer for European fashion lines, said she opened the boutique with the help of six UA alumni.

The first step in opening the business was to acquire vendor selling agreements, which meant she had to convince companies that bellisima would represent them well, she said.

Creating a business proposal and securing an investor, which turned out to be the her fiancé's family, were the next steps, Luety said. Executing details written in the business proposal, she said, was the last step she took to get bellisima on its feet.

She said owning her own company has its benefits.

"I have my life started - I am doing something that I love," Luety said. "It is my greatest accomplishment up to this point in my life."

She said many job opportunities exist for those willing to seek them out.

"I don't have a degree, and I have my own store," Luety said.

Some UA students, however, said they are unsure about their lives after graduation.

"It (job opportunities) is more or less about connections," said sociology senior Sara Hiner, who worries about finding a job after graduation. "School allows you to meet people and helps you get further up the ladder. An undergraduate degree doesn't mean much anymore."

"I think, like everyone else, I am a little worried about my future but I am hopeful that my classes will prepare me," said Mark Williams, a political science freshman. "I think if people see I have a degree from U of A it will be helpful (in getting a job)."

Luety said success takes dedication, passion and a willingness to sell your strengths.

"It's really about looking for them (opportunities) and not being scared to take risks," she said.