by Treena Mielke
Black Press
A young entrepreneur whose potential to be a woman of excellence was nurtured and encouraged in her younger years by her mom and her grandma, was one of the top 10 ladies recognized at an awards gala in Red Deer, recently.
Katherina Cummins from Sylvan Lake received the entrepreneurship award at Red Deer & District Community Foundation’s sixth annual Women of Excellence Awards Gala, attended by about 350 people June 12 at the Sheraton Centre.
Cummins credits her mother, Wendy Sauvegeau and her late grandma Mavis Oswald with giving her motivation and encouragement to be the best she could be in life. She is also grateful to the love of her life, her husband Lane, and her grandpa, George Brown, for their ongoing love and support.
Cummins said she was humbled and honoured to receive the award.
“I really felt inspired to see how much the other ladies (who were recognized) contributed,” she said. “It inspired me to want to do more.”
Cummins, a dark haired, friendly mother-of-three, already has an impressive track record of helping others; a trait which she believes is crucial to success.
“If you are going to have great success, you have to share. It’s better for everyone. I was raised by a single mom and I know what it’s like to go without.”
Cummins opened her first medi-spa in Red Deer in 2004. Within a year she had expanded the business. In 2009, she opened the first Aesthetics Laser School in Alberta in Red Deer, the Medi Aesthetics Institute of Canada. She has since opened a second school in Sherwood Park.
Cummins always strives for academic excellence, both for herself, her schools and her students.
Throughout the tapestry of her successful career, Cummins continues to weave strong threads of compassion and caring.
She donates supplies to outreach, youth and homeless shelters, offers a scholarship program for women getting into the workforce, is involved in the Red Deer community garden project and her spa donates coupons for free services to the women’s shelter.
Cummins and her husband have three girls, Hope, eight, Chase, six and Carington, four. The family enjoy living in Sylvan Lake and the girls, no doubt, have the wonderful role models of their mom and their grandma to help prepare them for the challenges and rewards life will, no doubt, bring their way.