Yetunde Oyewole
Head Strong | Presenting the winning model (Danielle Oyewole) and designer (Kathleen Balbona) the 2018 Jacksonville Magazine Fashion Project
Yetunde Oyewole, COMTO member and JTA employee, recalls when her daughter, Danielle was born:
Twenty five years ago Danielle was born right in the middle of the day at St. Vincent’s Hospital. At the same time of my delivery, her Godmother, Elsie Shofolu (JTA Bus Operator) was hired at JTA and now one of many passengers on JTA Buses! Who would have thought? Yetunde states that as a child, Danielle has always been fashion conscious so it was no surprise to witness her daughter’s most recent accomplishment as the 2018 JAX Magazine Fashion project.
Growing up in a family with three kids, Danielle was quite adventurous, and the one you would be concerned about if the house was too quiet. You may find her somewhere in the corner dressing up, styling her hair or coloring the wall with paint or hair grease. It took me a long time to finally realize that it was her creative talent that was at work.
Danielle made it known to her Dad and I early in life that she was interested in being a model, which we were not objected to at the time, other than we felt she was too young. However, as time went on we came to realize that we needed to support her in this endeavor as much as possible. She was the kid in the grocery basket you would see waving and smiling at everyone! She never met a stranger, which explains why she had a lot of friends growing. This attribute played an interesting role in many of her activities, such as cheerleading, dance and gymnastics to name a few.
I call her my “out of the box” child because she pushes the boundaries, she’s highly talented, strong and determined. I believe the sky is the limit for her modeling career!
Danielle inspires to one day have her own modeling company. Therefore, as a COMTO member, I frequently share information I have received in our meetings with Danielle about opportunities and benefits of networking through the organization, to help her learn what it takes for a minority to start and run a business. Currently, Danielle is seeking advice from small businesses in Jacksonville, Florida and I am thrilled that she has started the process of joining me as a COMTO Jacksonville member.
Please visit the link below to read more about the 2018 Jax Magazine Fashion Project Winning Model: Danielle Oyewole
http://www.jacksonvillemag.com/2018/11/14/fashion-project-2018-winners/