[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 159 (Thursday, November 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO RACHELLE F. JAMERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 10, 1999

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Rachelle 
F. Jamerson, this year's National Minority Female Entrepreneur as 
chosen by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business 
Development Agency. Ms. Jamerson is most deserving of this award and I 
am pleased to count her among the constituents of South Carolina's 
Sixth Congressional District.
  Before finishing high school, this ambitious entrepreneur put her 
talent for sewing and fashion design to work. Because no bank would 
take a gamble on a 16-year-old seeking to start a business, she raised 
her own capital by designing clothes, producing fashion shows, and 
creating a line of Greek paraphernalia.
  She attended Winthrop College in Rock Hill, SC, and graduated with a 
bachelor of science in Fashion Merchandising. In further developing her 
entrepreneurial interests, Ms. Jamerson also attended a summer design 
session at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 1988.
  By the age of 33, Ms. Jamerson had parlayed her early success in 
designing and selling women's wear into a diverse business that 
includes a nail salon, travel agency, financial counseling service and 
a deli. This ``one-stop shopping'' vision grew out of a need Ms. 
Jamerson perceived in her hometown of Orangeburg, SC.
  The name of her business ``Rachelle's Island'' is a reflection of her 
vision. Her concept is that every visit to her store will seem like a 
mini-vacation. The idea has caught on and the number of ``vacationers'' 
visiting Rachelle's Island continues to increase. Ms. Jamerson's 
reported sales exceeded $500,000 in 1998.
  I applaud her ingenuity for turning a sewing skill into a diverse 
business. Such talent and vision are the hallmarks of a successful 
entrepreneur. Ms. Jamerson has demonstrated that she has an abundance 
of both.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me today in honoring Rachelle Jamerson 
for her outstanding achievements as an entrepreneur. Her hard work and 
dedication should be commended by this House.

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