Hers is an all-American success story.
And it belongs to Mexican immigrant Maria del Mar Hinojosa, who, with an assist from San Diego Continuing Education, the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District, successfully changed careers and started two businesses in Point Loma’s Liberty Station.
Hinojosa completed the free short-term job training program for Sewn Products Business at San Diego Continuing Education’s West City Campus in Point Loma. Now, a little more than a year later, she’s creating elaborately designed skirts and shawls at her newly opened flamenco store in Liberty Station. That complements her flamenco instruction business, which she started online with her own website. She now teaches flamenco out of rented studio space, also at Liberty Station.
An architect in her native land for seven years, Hinojosa married an American and moved to San Diego a couple of years ago from Monterrey, Mexico. But there was a problem.
“I didn’t have a license to work in the United States, and I really didn’t want to go to college again,” she said, adding, “I’ve also been a flamenco dancer, mostly as a hobby, since I was age 12.”
Hinojosa put her creative thinking cap on and began exploring ways to achieve both her aspirations: sewing her own dance garments while teaching flamenco dance.
She was ultimately able to do both, enrolling at Continuing Education’s West City Campus to learn how to sew. Within a year, Hinojosa had earned a certificate in sewn product business. In January, she opened The Pure Flamenco Store, a Liberty Station shop offering mantones, mantoncillos, flecos, skirts, and more that were stitched together by Hinojosa.
“When we moved here, we didn’t know anyone,” Hinojosa said. “I launched my own website in June 2014 promoting my flamenco classes, which I started teaching in September in studio space I rent by the hour at Liberty Station.”
But she really wanted to make her own flamenco clothing as well, and, after completing her sewing instruction, that became a reality too.
Even Hinojosa’s community college sewing instructor, Shirley Pierson, was impressed by her ingenuity.
“In the classroom I saw a woman who possessed motivation and a passionate curiosity in her endeavors,” Pierson said. “She not only followed directions and learned, but she explored beyond the required to accomplish her goals. She did this all in a balanced way, as I know she had a full schedule of commitments in her life. She rocked the classroom.”
Hinojosa’s happy at just how well things have worked out.
“I’m doing my classes and creating my own patterns and making my own skirts, which I’ve started selling to my students,” she said, adding, her continuing education class also taught her invaluable business skills.
She’s even added shoes to her business mix, importing them from Spain.
“Now I sell everything related to flamenco dancing,” Hinjosa said.
For more information, visit pureflamencostore.com. The Pure Flamenco Store Where: 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 104, Liberty Station.
Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays noon to 4 p.m.
Info: [email protected], pureflamencostore.com, (858) 848-0096.