foxnews.com
[JB note: Below extract from entry worth reading in full as part of that recurring tale, "The American Story (myth?) of Reinvention."]
Her mother, Raj Randhawa, earned a master's degree in education and taught for seven years in the Bamberg public schools before starting a clothing company, Exotica International, in 1976.[16]
When Haley was five years old, her parents attempted to enter her in the "Miss Bamberg" contest. The contest traditionally crowned a black queen and a white queen. Since the judges decided Haley did not fit either category, they disqualified her.[6]
At age 12, Haley began helping with the bookkeeping in her mother's ladies' clothing shop, Exotica International.[19] In 1989, Haley graduated from Orangeburg Preparatory Schools.[20] She graduated from Clemson University[21] with a bachelor's degree in accounting.[22]
After graduating from Clemson University, Haley worked for FCR Corporation, a waste management and recycling company, before joining her family's clothing business. She later became Exotica International's controller[23] and chief financial officer.[24] ...
In 2004, Haley ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 87 in Lexington County. She challenged incumbent state Representative Larry Koon [see] in the Republican primary—the longest-serving legislator in the South Carolina Statehouse. Her platform included property tax relief and education reform.[29] ...