Marisa was the first of this dynamic duo to attend PVCC. Her motivating force was that she was "pretty terrified of going to the university." And since she did not have a clear direction regarding her educational path, she selected PVCC because of the broad range of courses available.
Alex "knew a ton of people who had attended PVCC and heard good things about their experience." The close proximity to her home was a bonus. Both Alex and Marisa shared that the most memorable aspects of their student experience is the "lifelong friendships" they established while students at PVCC.
Alex warmly recalls the unique and fun classes she took such as the Cinema class where she learned about different types of filmmaking. Her "History of Jazz" and “History of Rock and Roll" classes expanded her exposure to these music genres. To this day, Alex remembers going to listen to live Jazz music, something she probably would not have done if it weren't for this class assignment. She fondly recalls, "I listened to the musician for hours!"
Alex and Marisa echoed, "I would say PVCC is a really welcoming community college and very easy to maneuver. Being on campus and attending classes was not a terrifying experience." They both shared that the ease and availability of parking was ideal and Alex really liked having so many different course options.”
Alex shared, "PVCC taught me responsibility. I had to go to class because I was paying for it. In order to go farther in your life you need to figure out your priorities and use them to chart your path." For Marisa, "Going to PVCC taught me that consistency is key." As she looks at her overall life plan - she continues to apply this principle to "keep moving forward."
Both Marisa and Alex worked full-time while attending PVCC. This employment was the beginning of their journey into entrepreneurship! For Alex, “The business class I took at PVCC really helped as I entered this new realm of entrepreneurship.” This terrific twosome turned their love of dogs into their business! One year ago, they opened "One Love Pet Parlor." Both of them independently began at big box stores where they initially applied for a cashier position. Soon they were asked to begin grooming dogs. They both love dogs!
Opening the shop seemed very natural. Alex and Marisa had the vision and they had been working together for other people for many years and in doing so had gathered ideas and a vision of what they wanted to offer when they set up shop. Alex shared, "Opening the shop seemed very natural. We had the vision. We wanted a place where people could bring their pets and it felt like family.” This dynamic duo has designed their business around their love of dogs in the PVCC neighborhood!