小蓝视频 senior Bailey Walker is a marketing major in the Davis College of Business & Technology. She lives on a working farm and vineyard鈥擳uscan Rose Vineyards鈥攊n Callahan, Fla., which sits on a 60-acre, nature-inspired estate. The vineyard boasts an assortment of muscadine grapes鈥攁t least nine varieties鈥攚ith new ones being added each season. It鈥檚 also a destination wedding venue, attracting brides from all over the world.
Bailey doesn鈥檛 start her day like the typical JU student. She helps deliver and feed cows, drives 45-minutes one way to her classes each day, runs the successful wedding venue of her family鈥檚 estate, which features rich rolling pastures and 100-year-old oak trees. She then drives back home and is helping run the family business as its operations supervisor.
鈥淚 go to school full time at JU, and, in between classes, I take phone calls with vendors and brides and their parents,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 come back to the vineyard around 4 p.m. and meet my bridal clients in the evening. By the time I do that, it鈥檚 time to eat dinner, study and do it all over again.鈥�
Bailey does find time for some important 鈥渕e鈥� time. She loves working on floral arrangements for weddings. It鈥檚 something she loves but 鈥渋t鈥檚 also work.鈥� She says weekends are really special because it鈥檚 the bride鈥檚 big wedding day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best part, making the girls鈥� dreams come true.鈥�
The nearly 21-year-old will be taking over the family vineyard, which has been going strong for five years, when she graduates this spring. Her big sister, Brandi Leigh Walker Andrews is a 2016 JU Davis College alumna. She obtained her dual degree in accounting and finance, and says her degrees have helped 鈥渟ignificantly impact鈥� her ability to help the family business.
While a student at JU, she was involved in the university鈥檚 Honors Program. 鈥淏eing a part of a large organization that was dedicated to community service, and later serving as president, has allowed me to continue that community service through our family farm by dedicating resources to local Future Farmer鈥檚 of America as well as providing agricultural education and guidance to local [Nassau County] schools and businesses.鈥�
Bailey鈥檚 family estate consists of several generations of hardworking farmers. Her mother, Bobbie Walker, recalls 鈥渆ating the Muscadine grapes off our grandparents鈥� vines.鈥� She stated that everything they do at the vineyard is based on feeling and how they care for people.
鈥淭he vineyard was created because of my grandparents. When I was either 3 or 4 years old, I remember going to the vineyard my grandpa had and tasting the muscadine grape. It鈥檚 just a special flavor, kind of like that special recipe your grandma made and takes you back for that split second when you were younger.鈥�
Added to the already successful bridal venue, Bailey鈥檚 family is opening a winery
at the end of this year. Bobbie shares she has had no doubts about her youngest daughter
taking the helm in April, once she walks across the stage with JU diploma in hand.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of risk in growing a business in the world today. I have watched Bailey grow and struggle through hard classes, while managing events at the same time. It takes a dedicated person to do that,鈥� she said.
Bobbie notes that Bailey has always wanted to run the farm and vineyard for future generations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than a job to her. It鈥檚 her life and the wonderful life she wants to create for the rest of the family,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he鈥檒l continue to build our family legacy, and I couldn鈥檛 be prouder.鈥�
As they say, it truly takes a village, and Bailey acknowledges that she wouldn鈥檛 be where she is today without her professors and mentors in the Davis College. She鈥檚 learned her business marketing acumen from Dr. Irina Toteva, assistant professor of marketing in the Davis College.
鈥淗er classes have really helped me from a marketing perspective by taking sales courses. 鈥淓verything has to do with selling, having people come to the venue and having them make a big investment in a special day in their life,鈥� Bailey said. In her classes, we come up with marketing plans for other businesses around Jacksonville, so being able to take that knowledge, to learn from that and create my own marketing plan for the future is priceless.鈥�
鈥淏ailey is in a unique position to learn in class, apply the new concepts and strategies at her work, and see immediate results of her hard work and dedication,鈥� explained Toteva. 鈥淔or other students who aren鈥檛 able to immediately apply the concepts learned in college, it may be difficult to see the tangible impact of their growing knowledge.鈥�
Bailey, who is also in the middle of planning her own wedding, is a prestigious Zimmerman Scholar and has worked closely with Zimmerman Scholar Program Director Jennifer Reid, also a business instructor in the Davis College.
鈥淏eing a Zimmerman Scholar has afforded me the opportunity to make great business connections and meet new people. Having those connections and branching out has really been a blessing in disguise for me at JU,鈥� noted Bailey.
Reid has coached Bailey, helping her balance being a businesswoman and a student, with the ability to graduate in just three years. 鈥淲ithout her help and guidance, I honestly wouldn鈥檛 have been graduating this spring. She helps guide me in the best way possible, what classes to take, who to meet and how to make my connections.鈥�
"Bailey has been a pleasure to know and to teach,鈥� stated Reid. 鈥淪he knows how to deal with people, and she knows how to run a business. I see nothing but success in her future."
See more about Bailey and Tuscan Rose Vineyards on .
