Julia Myron, a Mars native, was recently awarded a Dream Support Grant through the National Society of Leadership and Success.

MARS — Needing to choose an art course during high school, Julia Myron was seemingly stuck with calligraphy.

It was the only course that fit her schedule while a junior at Quigley Catholic High School, and her knowledge was limited, to say the least.

“I knew that it had to do with writing but that was about all my knowledge about the subject so it was entirely new to me,” she said.

Now a junior in college, Myron, a Mars native, has found a passion in the art form, and was recently awarded a Dream Support Grant through the National Society of Leadership and Success that she hopes will allow her to own her own calligraphy business.

Myron credits her teacher for helping grow her love for calligraphy. Once the class was completed, she kept her pen and tips and was able to continue practicing the craft. She doodled for a few years until her freshman year at Mt. St Mary's University. Her sister needed wedding invitations, and asked Myron to use her skills. The wedding work kept coming.

“After doing her invitations, my brother, who also was engaged, wanted me to do the same thing for his invitations,” she said. “After hearing the responses from my relatives and others about the invitations, I began to consider starting a business.”

Myron dove deeper into the craft, accumulating materials, as well as trying different pen tips and inks and learning new alphabets. She began researching existing calligraphy businesses, and found one that offered courses to help her improve further.

The cost, however, was high, so Myron began exploring other options of funding her goal. Now a junior, majoring in theology with a minor in math, Myron is a member of Mr. St. Mary's National Society for Leadership and Success chapter Sigma Alpha Pi. Through that organization, she applied for and was awarded the Dream Support Grant that will allow her to take the courses and purchase additional resources.

Myron, who plans to become a religion teacher upon graduation in 2020, also hopes to operate her calligraphy business on the side. She hopes to stay in the area and offer her services to those in the community.

“I am very excited to get started on both of these classes and cannot wait to see where this takes me,” Myron said.