An educator at Renton Technical College spent her pandemic free-time crafting and selling jewelry to support students in need.

Liz Falconer is the director of innovative teaching and learning at RTC, where she works to support students with help and resources as they navigate through their academic career.

The educational disruption caused by the pandemic forcing academic institutions to enact remote and hybrid learning models meant that Falconer would have to provide additional support for students now adapting to an unfamiliar learning environment.

Falconer also realized the economic hardships and financial stress that many RTC students would face during the pandemic.

“Many of them are people that need jobs and need to be trained,” Falconer said.

That was when she asked herself, “how could I make myself useful?”.

Her idea was to craft jewelry, sell it online and donate the profits to the Student Emergency Fund at RTC. A fund that helps the students in most need of financial support to pay bills, for housing, or for transportation.

“I have always kind of been known as a creator,” Falconer said. “A lot of things we can not control, this was something I could completely control,”.

She said crafting her bracelets, necklaces and earrings using different kinds of beads inspired by different cultures and aesthetics was a kind of “self-therapy,” through the stress of the pandemic.

Falconer said she realized her own privilege to be able to do something like this as it “takes money to make money,” but she said she is glad to be able to contribute and support RTC students on their academic paths towards a successful career.

Those interested in purchasing Liz Falconer’s jewelry and supporting local students can visit at https://www.bealightjewelry.com/.