Patricia Durkin Patty Durkin worked her way through four years of undergraduate school at USC, taking out 40 hours a week to carry her tuition and fees, living costs, and some occasional discretionary expenses.

Durkin has recently bought out her partner and taken full control of Seven Doors, a group of hair stylists and related services across from the YMCA on Sumter Street.

Durkin's father was a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, which put him in Portsmith, Va., when she was born. Her mother was a resident in the U.S. for only a year when Durkin was born. Durkin's parents met in Naples, Italy, her mother's hometown.

Durkin has two younger sisters. Catherine works at Dillards in Columbiana, and Anna is a homemaker.

When Durkin was a toddler, the family moved to Conway, S.C., where Durkin's father entered the private sector working at the Granger Steam Plant and where Durkin later entered Peter Pan Kindergarten at Conway's First Baptist Church.

While she was in the sixth grade, Durkin's family moved to Columbia, near South Belt Line, and she attended middle school at Olympia and high school at Dreher. She was an honors student who also marched as a majorette.

Immediately after her Dreher graduation, Durkin enrolled at USC as a major in the media arts. Photography was her focus.

Four years later, with her BA in hand and with minimal debt, Durkin left for Hilton Head to continue in the hospitality industry. After only eight months, she returned to Columbia to see more of her future husband, Willie Durkin, now sole owner of Durkin's, a private club behind Claussen's Inn.

Durkin learned the mortgage business as an office receptionist for a year at First Security Mortgage on Elmwood Ave., and she a loan officer at the firm for another few years.

She left the mortgage business for recruiting and personnel staffing with Randstad Staffing on St. Andrews Road, where she stayed for four years.

Jodie McCord convinced Durkin to redirect her career track and run the business side of McCord's hair salon, Seven Doors, where Durkin soon became a partner. McCord remained part- owner and artistic director.

When Durkin came on board, Seven Doors was on the second level of the Sylvan's building on Hampton Street. Durkin and McCord moved to their Sumter Street location last year, Sept. 14.

Only recently did Durkin become sole owner of Seven Doors, but McCord still shows up on occasion to help train a new hair stylist. McCord is also pursuing her designation as a master gardener.

Durkin's Seven Doors has five hair stylists, and she is looking for a sixth. Her workplace philosophy is mostly concerned with the health of her clients, but the health of the environment also takes her attention. Recycling is an important part of the operation at Seven Doors. The City of Columbia's CPAC recognition for the especially environmentally conscious business has been officially established with an award.

Durkin and her husband charge their batteries in Charlotte and Charleston at their favorite restaurants. In Columbia, particularly downtown where they live at 1520 Main Street, they have their favorite restaurants, and they also enjoy fine cuisine.