After spending a year traveling through 20 different countries, Shaina Machlus wanted to be part of a strong community and to be a positive influence. Though she hadn’t considered cutting hair professionally, it was something she enjoyed since middle school, bartering haircuts through college and styling hair throughout her trip.

It’s been years since Crystal Bright seriously pursued her interest in theater, instead focusing on music and holistic health counseling. In addition to independently offering piano, voice and accordion lessons, she plays with Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands.

Some people dream of leaving a smaller city like Greensboro, but Sam Bridges is happy to call the Gate City home. Besides the community and potential he sees here, there’s the affordability. “I’m never paying $1,200 for a closet ever again,” he said.

Kristi Darr isn’t your average photographer — she spent years traveling internationally, frequently shooting weddings in the Caribbean, and was gone nearly three weeks a month.

Antwonett Aktins enjoys poetry, roller-skating and jazz, but she is passionate about child advocacy and community service. Her parents, who hail from Jamaica and Nebraska, met in Germany and later moved to Seattle, where Atkins was raised.

As far as Ryan Kasek is concerned, pets are part of the family. He’s always loved animals, and that’s why he created Doggy Butler a few months after graduating with a marketing degree.

For students like Tielle Douglas, this month marked the triumphant end to their college career. Douglas spent the spring semester interning at 102 JAMS and holding down a job while enrolled as a student, so she slowed down and decided to take an extra semester.

It’s a wonder that Salem College sophomore Tuula Perry can keep track of everything she’s involved in. On campus, she’s part of the Quad organization, the Salem Leadership Connection, the Rotaract Club and the CHANGE chapter. Perry works as an RA and at Willow’s Bistro, and will intern with the Red Cross in January.

It wasn’t until after she graduated from NC A&T University and was working as a nurse that Stacey Toben realized it was her calling. She initially planned to pursue a doctorate in anthropology, but fell in love with the dynamic atmosphere and the chance to learn something new every day.

Hip-hop artist Dante CK is working to complete his first official album, which he hopes to release in early 2012. Daron Whitmore (his real name) already put out a mix tape, Beef and Broccoli, and produced the new album The Little Big Life free of sampling.

Sabrina Fletcher Ashworth, a single mother of two young boys, says she has been driven her entire life. “I’ve worked hard and faced tough challenges,” said Ashworth. “I’ve worked my way to the top in the business world and been through downsizing.

She kept drawing, mostly creating little comics and ’zines. Now, at age 28, Enscore is a tattoo apprentice at Seven Sagas, has her own station and is moving to an appointment basis. She started her apprenticeship over a year ago, and the first tattoo she ever completed was on her own skin.

Some people think east Winston-Salem native Geno Segers excels naturally, but his success in a number of arenas illustrates how his hard work and dedication pays off. Segers played rugby internationally, has run multiple small businesses, played minor-league football, starred as Mufasa in the stage production of The Lion King.

Orlando Botero II began his current trajectory when he was just 14, working in the restaurant and hospitality business and later getting involved with the bar and club business in 1998. Now the proud owner/operator of Syn, Select and Sky on Elm Street, Botero can’t picture himself doing anything else.

Jada Drew certainly has her hands full. She runs her own social justice consulting business, Social Designs; is a fellow with Green for All in her hometown of Rich Square; and works with the national White Privilege Conference. On top of it all, she holds down a day job as the Africana Community Coordinator at Guilford College.

It wasn’t until recently that paper conservator Tahe Zalal started volunteering on the membership committee for the Weatherspoon Art Museum, and you can hear the excitement in her voice. “This is one of the best groups of people I’ve ever worked with,” she said.

Sometimes a turnover is a delicious piece of pastry, but its also something that happens at a company after seven years in business. This week we celebrate and mourn the tenure of two fabulous designers here at YES! Weekly..

This weeks Local Talent, Autumn Hollifield, has the perfect name for the season. But she started Images by Autumn Photography in the winter of 2009. I came to learn that I absolutely love shooting weddings. she writes. No two weddings are the same.

Throughout his life hes felt repeatedly called to making art through a variety of mediums, and said he is like a fish out of water when not pursuing his passion. Shaver attended the University of St. Francis, receiving numerous accolades for his work while pursuing an art education degree.

Recently, while tooling along US 221 between Blowing Rock and Linville Falls, inspiration struck landscape artist Raef Byers. Just off the winding two-lane blacktop, he discovered three spectacular, cascading waterfalls. Byers stopped by the roadside highway to carefully study natures design.