Local girls learn a more charming way of life

While 2007 university alumna Elizabeth Cepeda was still attending the university, she says opening a "charm school" for girls was one of her dreams.

"Opening the school was something that people asked me about a lot, and I eventually began to consider," Cepeda says. "I used to run the Miss Hispanic Delaware and it made me sad to see girls who didn't have the crown cry. This is when I thought, 'Why don't I have a class where I can teach these girls etiquette and manners, then crown them at the end?' "

Cepeda, who graduated with a degree in apparel design, opened Caché Productions, a charm school for girls ages 5 to 17, in June 2007. Her school teaches etiquette, manners and hygiene along with modeling and acting.

Cepeda says her school offers 20 different sections over several weeks where girls can better themselves. The girls learn table manners, social grace and modeling. She takes it a step farther and finds the girls modeling jobs and promotional work, and also plans events such as pageants.

When parents sign their daughters up, Cepeda explains they aren't simply learning to act or model, but they are developing other skills that may seem boring but will make them well-rounded individuals.

"I meet the parents and then I meet the girls," she says. "I give them an overview of what they are going to learn. The girls really seem to enjoy the classes - especially the acting. One of the girls asked her mom why I couldn't be her everyday teacher."

Cepeda says in New Castle County, there are no schools that teach quite the way she does. In Newark there are none, and in Wilmington there are a few modeling schools and an etiquette school, but none that offer both.

As far as her goals for her students, she says she encourages the girls to express themselves. She teaches them proper behavior for future careers, including fashion and how to put together appropriate outfits for different situations.

"I really just try to reinforce what the parents are teaching their children at home," Cepeda says. "Parents don't see the basic manner mistakes that they make in front of the kids. Parents tell me that the girls are going home and saying, 'Mom, don't do that.' "

Since opening in June, Cepeda says she has had nine students come through her school, but she is constantly looking for new students. She has also been working with the Miss Hispanic Delaware Pageant for the past seven years, and has been training those girls as well.

"The girls in my school want to compete in the pageants," she says, "so I teach them different runway walks and pageant things, but they usually don't compete in my pageant."

Although she doesn't instruct adults, Cepeda says she does see quite a few university students making etiquette mistakes.

"The biggest mistake that I see college students making is that they are always on the phone, especially in inappropriate places," she says. "They also talk with their mouth full and do not cover their mouth when coughing."

Senior Megha Bhatt says she thinks college students don't necessarily have bad etiquette but when they're out they should be more considerate.

"When they are out, they are crazy and loud, but when they need to be professional, they are," Bhatt says.

She says other things such as cell phone etiquette and eating teeter the line between acceptable and unflattering.

"Rarely do I ever see a student not on the phone when walking to and from class," Bhatt says. "As far as manners when eating, I think we are good, but I don't really know the proper etiquette for that."

Robin Thompson, creator of The Etiquette Network, says if college students act with others in mind, etiquette should not be an issue.

"College students tend to focus on themselves, but we get much farther in life if we're considerate of others," Thompson says. "[They] can improve themselves so much by being kind, dependable and respectful."

She says people are only as good as their word, so when students don't show up for class or skip out on a group project, they aren't taking others into account.

"Being respectful really comes to play in situations with roommates," Thompson says. "Use common sense - don't eat all of their food, be neat and keep an open communication."

Thompson gives lectures on etiquette and teaches classes on dining etiquette and how to get a job. She says she thinks etiquette classes are for personal enhancement and will make weaknesses stronger.

Thompson has expanded her network so much that she travels all over teaching classes. She also applauds those who see her program and are interested in getting into the business.

She says she thinks what Cepeda is doing is a wonderful idea.

"You need someone who's caring and cares for what they are doing to be a good teacher of etiquette," she says. "People can't just get a degree to teach this stuff, and it takes a lot of time and commitment."