Alexandra Nauta is a sophomore at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, and is studying supply chain management. She is quite a unique college student, as she runs her own business when she is not working on her studies at Quinnipiac. Alexandra’s business is Hidden Starfish, a line of handmade jewelry, including beautiful earrings and rings.

However, Hidden Starfish is not just a typical line of jewelry- it is a company with a philanthropic purpose. The company’s goal is to help bring funds and awareness to mental health disorders while helping to fight against the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Nauta’s jewelry line donates ten percent of their proceeds to benefit the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.

Alexandra wanted to start Hidden Starfish because she wanted to combine two of her passions: mental health advocacy and making jewelry. In a phone interview, Nauta said, “I have been diagnosed with OCD and anxiety since age eight; I quickly realized the stigma against mental illness and spent my whole life hiding a large part of myself." All that Alexandra really wants to do is make a difference in the world of mental health.

Photo: Hidden Starfish

Alexandra picked the starfish as the symbol for her company because she loves the symbolic meaning behind the starfish, and she thinks they are beautiful and fascinating creatures. She says that starfish are “resilient," because when a starfish loses its arm, they will grow another one. She also says that “resilience is the way to success," and she is being very resilient when trying to fight the stigma of mental illness.

To this day, Hidden Starfish has donated hundreds of dollars to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. By donating hundreds of dollars to this foundation, Alexandra is on track to donate even more money to this foundation.

However, Hidden Starfish’s philanthropic purpose does not end there. Every piece of jewelry in Hidden Starfish’s jewelry line is made and sold in the USA, which provides economic sustainability. Also, all the jewelry created by Alexandra is made of recycled metals, which makes Hidden Starfish an eco-friendly business.

Go and visit www.hiddenstarfishjewerly.com today! Also, be sure to check out Hidden Starfish on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram! The best part of about buying jewelry from Hidden Starfish is that you cannot get buyer’s remorse for buying jewelry because you know that your money will be helping others!