Gary Hope Cosmetology And Barbering Scholarship

From a young age, I have loved all aspects of cosmetology. My aunt loves telling the story of how she found me as a toddler in her Mary Kay products with a full face of properly applied, albeit heavy, makeup. The countless Christmases of Barbie and Bratz doll heads that eventually would lead to student practice mannequin heads told the story of an aspiring hairstylist. As I got older, I developed a deeper love and appreciation of all things beauty and with it the realization that if you love how you look, you present a much more confident face to the world. I love the self-expression that came with hair, makeup and nails. I love the feeling of self-love that comes with caring for your skin. During a short period in my earlier teen years, I was not allowed to express myself in these ways. I wasn't allowed to cut my hair, dye it or change it in any way that wasn't approved by my father. Makeup was banned, and I couldn't do much to my nails. With such harsh restrictions, my confidence dropped drastically, and along with it my grades and self-esteem. It wasn't until I moved back in with my mom and had access to clothing that actually fit coupled with the freedom of being able to choose my hairstyles and colors myself and my mother teaching me how to apply makeup to compliment my features that I realized just how much that self expression tied into my confidence. I once again became that outgoing and confident young girl again, my grades soared and my social circle was chosen much more carefully. It is my goal to help provide the keys to that confidence for other young girls and women to be able to reinvent themselves into their most confident version. I want to do more than just do hair and makeup. I want to provide that safe space to explore that creative side of people. Of course, I aim to provide that safe space regardless of gender and age, however, I hold a special place in my heart for young black femmes and thems as I know how restrictive and judgemental our community can be having lived through it myself. I aim to teach about proper hair care and maintenance while providing affordable styling for my community. It would also mean so much to me to be able to provide services to local shelters for families because I am completely convinced when you look your best its so much easier to feel your best and let your confidence shine. This scholarship would help me get that much closer to my goals by helping to provide me the ability to perfect my skills to serve my community in the most professional and caring manner.