Spring Hill College is home to many student-owned small businesses. While some students bring pre-existing businesses to the Hill, others start their businesses while at SHC.
Rising senior and health science major, Madison Colvin, is the owner of a small business called “The Galore Collection.” Colvin started her business in 2020 during her last year of high school. Her products include a variety of different bangles, which are bracelets that hold different charms. She handmade the bracelets during a dedicated time she set aside. Colvin occasionally sets up a table in the student center lobby to showcase her handcrafted bracelets. Her goal after graduation is to become a physical therapist while still maintaining her entrepreneurship with The Galore Collection.
Colvin also mentioned she offers an option that allows customers to order a custom bracelet from her. She said, “I wanted to bring my business to The Hill to show I am more than a young black woman wanting a higher education. I want other young black men and women to see that it is possible to do the unexpected.”
Colvin uses social media platforms to continue building her business and to attract a larger audience. She wants
to learn how to branch out to take her business to the next level. She will continue to advance through her college career while simultaneously working on her business. Colvin wants to be able to create generational wealth for her and her family.
The Galore Collection is only one example of the many student-run businesses that have been found on the Hill. Class of 2023 alumni, Natalie Williamson, started a photography business as a student at SHC. Her business was launched in 2022 when her Instagram followers noticed her skills and requested photo shoots. Williamson said, “I have always had a love and passion for taking pictures since I was little.”
Williamson initially began taking photos of her friends, and then she started to branch out from there. She now has a photography business named after herself, where she takes pictures of weddings, high school proms, and family portraits. “I am so happy that people entrust me with capturing their special moments almost every week,” said Williamson.
Williamson is now a multimedia journalist at Gulf Coast Media in Foley, AL. She also comes occasionally back to SHC to take photos for people. “I am so thankful to have received such a wonderful education at Spring Hill College. Everything that I have learned has been used for my position at Gulf Coast Media and for Natalie Williamson Photography,” she said.
To learn more about Colvin and Williamson’s work, visit their Instagrams @thegalore_collection and @nataliewilliamsonphotography.
