by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB
Roanoke Times Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301260271 SECTION: ECONOMY PAGE: EC-9 EDITION: METRO SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON STAFF WRITER DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
AMBITIOUS ACHIEVER LIVES BY WORK ETHIC
Don't make the mistake of calling Ingrid Ayton lucky."I'm an achiever and I've earned everything I've got because I worked hard for it," the 22-year-old said of her job as an assistant manager at the Fashion Bug store in Tanglewood Mall.
Ayton graduated from Radford University summa cum laude with a degree in marketing. Her dream job would be as an assistant to the director of marketing in some phase of the hospitality industry.
She hasn't given up on that dream. For now it's just on hold.
"I'm looking forward to a better economy," she said with resolve, buzzing around behind the sales counter, doing several things at once.
Ayton, who lives with her parents in Roanoke, moved here from Jamaica five years ago.
When she hears about this country's rough economy, she smiles.
"I've accomplished more here in five years than I ever could have in Jamaica," Ayton said. "Living in a Third World country, you really learn what rough is."
Sure, business as an urban outfitter is tough, with Leggett located right across the mall and The Limited breathing down Fashion Bug's neck a couple of stores away. But Ayton said she's pleased to work for a company with a 40-year history and more than 1,200 stores coast to coast. She said she feels sure that offers room for advancement.
"You just have to do the best you can do and hope someone above you will recognize that and take you with them as they rise," she said, pointing out that advancement is key in today's economy.
That mirrors Ayton's own work ethic. "I was raised believing that even if you just cleaned floors, you did it the very best that you could," she explained.
Ayton can't really find any aspect of her life that has changed with the economy. Describing herself as a practical person, she's not abusing credit.
"My lifestyle has never been big," she said. "Right now I'm saving and hoping for a better tomorrow."
Ayton approaches that with a specific plan. She plans to marry her boyfriend - a teacher who still lives in Jamaica - this summer. Between now and then, each has resolved to save $2,000 before the wedding for a nest egg.
She dreams of owning a home in the U.S., but for now is just focusing on reality, saving for a down payment.
"My future goal is to own a home before I'm 35," declared Ayton. "And I'm not talking about a mortgage. I'm going to own it by then."