10s of Oxford: Three Successful Females Shine in Their Twenties

This past week we featured inspirational, hard-working women. We were inspired by them to the point of naming them our 10s of Oxford. The 10s of Oxford are people who give Oxford and Ole Miss their personalities and held them up in respectable light. These hardworking ladies are definitely 10s!

Karen Allen Landers

(second from left) Karen Allen Landers poses with her hairstylists.

Karen Allen Landers is a graduate of Oxford High School and grew up in Woodlawn subdivision, only a stone’s throw from where her salon, Truvy’s, is now located. The name Truvy’s is inspired by Truvy Jones from “Steel Magnolias.” Truvy’s philosophy also inspired Landers who opened her salon six months ago with desire to help people feel better.

Landers said, “That’s how I wanted my salon to feel like you were at your friends’ home getting to visit with them.” Her salon stands out because of its name that gave her a lot of walk-ins.

The salon has come quite a way. This past September the salon hosted a sorority manicure party, and half of the salon’s clientele are men. Landers is only 27 years old which she felt has been a challenge.

She said, “Being a female you have to have a respectfully confident attitude for people to take you serious when you’re young and starting your own business from scratch.”

Mónica Lebrón

Mónica Lebrón with the Egg Trophy

Mónica Lebrón is Ole Miss’ associate athletics director for development and major gifts. She joined the Rebels in 2012 after working with the Cal Athletics Development staff as senior major gifts officer and senior associate director for major gifts during her stint in Berkeley. Before California she worked for University of Florida where she served as associate director for Gator Boosters, Inc. for nearly five years. She also spent a year with the NCAA as a governance intern where she worked with all three divisions with their management and presidents councils.

Lebrón’s education comprises a bachelor of arts degree in women’s and gender studies from Yale University, a master’s in business administration and a master’s in sports administration at Ohio University and a doctorate degree in higher education in progress at University of Mississippi.

She may be a worldly person but she has a spot in her heart for Mississippi.

She said to Steve Vassallo in their interview: “It surprises me every time the words come out of my mouth, but at least once a day I find myself telling someone how happy I am here in Oxford and at Ole Miss. People usually then follow up by asking me what it is I like most about Oxford and without hesitation I say, ‘The people.'”

Margaux Jurgensen

She is a senior integrated marketing communications major who is the only undergraduate to compete and place in the Speaker’s Edge program during the 2014 winter intersession.

The Speaker’s Edge Program is a prestigious, two-week course offered during the winter intersession and is taught by Professor JoAnn Edwards. The School of Business Administration sponsors this program annually with the university. An undergraduate and graduate level course is normally offered, depending on the interest and enrollment, complete with world-class industry professionals as judges and speech coaches.

Margaux Jurgensen happened to be one of the few undergraduates that signed up for the course, but Professor Edwards had her moved to the Graduate level course. Jurgensen took on the program wholeheartedly and placed second in ‘Ethical Dilemmas’ portion and as fourth quarterfinalist in ‘Informative Speeches.’

She and other students had only 30 minutes to prepare their speeches for the ‘Ethical Dilemmas’ portion.

When asked how she felt about her participation, Jurgensen said, “I did it to better myself, because I want to be the best speaker I can be in my future career. The Speaker’s Edge Program was the best course I’ve taken at the University of Mississippi, hands down. I would highly suggest anyone else to take it, just go for it.”

Callie Daniels is a staff reporter at HottyToddy.com. If y’all know someone who is an all-around 10 in Oxford or at Ole Miss send her an email at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.