Close Menu
  • Home
  • Holiday Loops
  • Advertise with Us
  • About & Contact
  • Good News
  • Get Involved
  • Podcast
  • Support Us

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest good news and other great things from STN.

What's Hot

Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby

June 30, 2025

Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support!

June 30, 2025

Check Out the Events this Weekend, June 27-July 7 Weekends in the Mahoning Valley

June 27, 2025
Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
Spanning the Need: Good News, Inspiring, the Uninspired.
Subscribe Login
  • About
    • About & Contact
    • Advertise with Us
    • Legal
    • Vote
  • Holiday Loops
  • Podcast
  • Good News
  • Get Involved
  • Events
  • Support Us
Spanning the Need: Good News, Inspiring, the Uninspired.
Home » Good News » Clarissa and Donna Drouhard, a mother-daughter artistic duo undeterred by Down Syndrome
At Home

Clarissa and Donna Drouhard, a mother-daughter artistic duo undeterred by Down Syndrome

The PortagerBy The PortagerOctober 12, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp VKontakte Email
Clarissa points to a picture of herself when she was younger that hangs on her fridge. She said she used to play softball before she owned her business while she was still in school.
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Clarissa Drouhard has never let Down Syndrome hold her back. The 34-year-old entrepreneur owns her own art business and lavender mini farm called Clarissa Menagerie, with the help of her mom, Donna.

Growing up, many people doubted her, her mother said, but her spirit never wavered. As one of few children with Down Syndrome to pass through Rootstown schools, Donna said a fourth-grade teacher failed to integrate her into the class, placing her in a corner of the room.Clarissa and Donna Drouhard stand in front of their first lavender plants that they planted in fall 2020. They made lavender cookies out of the last bundle of lavender from these bushes. Sophia Lucente/The Portager

Donna took the opposite approach: “If she’s able to do it we let her do it,” Donna said. She attended school board meetings and spoke with the district to allow Clarissa to have the best education possible.

Plus, some of her peers did believe in her.

Donna said Clarissa participated in Brownies, a girl scout group for elementary-age girls. The other girls in the group encouraged and loved Clarissa, and she became good friends with them. Donna also said her four older siblings influenced her, setting an example for her as she grew up.

Clarissa’s art and hobbies were another source of support, particularly creating pieces with clay. Donna said her hobbies help keep her “mind busy.”

Clarissa has been drawing since the age of 2, scribbling on papers in school and eventually taking workshops after she graduated high school. Now, Donna handles the business side of Clarissa Menagerie, while Clarissa makes the art.



Some of her favorite art pieces include her clay sculptures, including a Japanese Raku mask made at one of the workshops she attended. She appears at various events, selling her art at tables at Art on Main in Ravenna and the Buddy Walk, put on by the Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Ohio.

Clarissa shows her Raku pottery piece, a form of Japanese art she learned at a workshop a few years ago. In the background are lavender cookies she helped her mom bake with the lavender from their farm. Sophia Lucente/The Portager

Clarissa shows her Raku pottery piece, a form of Japanese art she learned at a workshop a few years ago. In the background are lavender cookies she helped her mom bake with the lavender from their farm. Sophia Lucente/The Portager

Recently, Donna and Clarissa started growing lavender plants in their backyard. They sell bundles at the tables or cook with it, putting it in lavender cookies and lemonade.

Clarissa has always accomplished what she set her mind to regardless of her disability, Donna said.

To buy Clarissa’s art, visit her online store here.

Article by: Sophia Lucente-The Portager. This article originally appeared in The Portager.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Previous ArticlePOTW: Pastor Todd Johnson, Second Baptist Church
Next Article E116: Congressman Bill Johnson, 6th District of Ohio discusses the local issues & how to combat them!
The Portager
  • Website

Related Posts

By STNJune 30, 2025 News

Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby

By STNJune 30, 2025 Community & Activism

Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support!

By STN StaffJune 26, 2025 Business & Finance

Honoring Athena Nominees for 2025: Paula Baco, Rachael Dobson and Patricia Summers

By STNJune 25, 2025 At Home

Man Is Overwhelmed with Emotion Trying Color Blind Glasses for First Time–‘My God. This is Amazing’ (WATCH)

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest good news and other great things from STN.

Demo
Recent Posts
  • Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby June 30, 2025
  • Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support! June 30, 2025
  • Check Out the Events this Weekend, June 27-July 7 Weekends in the Mahoning Valley June 27, 2025
  • Honoring Athena Nominees for 2025: Paula Baco, Rachael Dobson and Patricia Summers June 26, 2025
  • Man Is Overwhelmed with Emotion Trying Color Blind Glasses for First Time–‘My God. This is Amazing’ (WATCH) June 25, 2025
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Don't Miss
News

Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby

By STNJune 30, 202502 Mins Read

A boy who nearly died after he was shot in the head as a baby…

Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support!

June 30, 2025

Check Out the Events this Weekend, June 27-July 7 Weekends in the Mahoning Valley

June 27, 2025

Honoring Athena Nominees for 2025: Paula Baco, Rachael Dobson and Patricia Summers

June 26, 2025

Man Is Overwhelmed with Emotion Trying Color Blind Glasses for First Time–‘My God. This is Amazing’ (WATCH)

June 25, 2025
Newsletter

Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
  • Home
  • About & Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Good News
  • Events
© Copyright 2025. STN | Spanning the Need. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Legal Disclaimer. Website design by Gallagher Website Design

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Sign In or Register

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below.

Lost password?