As a young African American male, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, with a family that still has Sunday dinner together after church at my Granny's house, where extended family and friends come to have their stomachs and souls fed. Many people come, especially around the holidays, and Granny's example teaches us as we see her give food and gifts to people who may not otherwise have a meal or presents. They are welcomed and made to feel like family. Community service has always been example and expectation, whether it was in the neighborhood, church, or school. In following the examples of my elders, I have helped with the food pantry at my church two Saturdays each month where I help to box and distribute food to needy families. I also help to serve food at homeless shelters and participant with Meals on Wheels (also boxing and helping to distribute food). In addition, through Banneker High School, where I will graduate on May 14, 2025, I also volunteered through an organization called Future Foundation. Future Foundation includes charity work and discussion with other teens about our futures and mental health. My sincere desire to become an esthetician is in large part due to my personal struggle, story and transformation. As a young teen, I struggled with my appearance, specifically, my skin. I just did not feel attractive. I was very insecure and did not think that any of my peers would like me nor would they want to become friends with me. In a world where people are always taking selfies and making posts, I shied away from cameras and social activities because I did not want to be photographed. I became very depressed and even entertained suicidal thoughts as a way to relieve the pain. Thankfully, God allowed my best friend to speak to me in my darkest moment, speaking encouragement into me, showing me love and compassion. From that time forward, I learned how to take care of my skin and gained real confidence in myself. I no longer see myself through a negative lens. I am filled with positivity, and I walk around with a smile. Now, I am able to feel good in the skin I’m in, take excellent care of myself, and look for ways to help others do the same. My self-worth has increased so much that I have done some modeling last summer for a couple of local designers and participated at a fashion show at my church. For me, becoming an esthetician is not just about helping people to look beautiful, I want to help people feel beautiful. My career goals include one day owning my own skincare spa working with diverse types of skin and teaching others the benefits of skin care. I would also like to develop an expertise that allows me to help people who are dealing with medical conditions that impact their skin. Once I am well established, I plan to regularly offer some free services to teens in my community who may have similar skin issues as I did growing up and show them how to take care of their skin so that they won't despair or be filled with anxiety and depression. I want to be an example to them of how they can rise above self-doubt and achieve their goals. Thank you for your consideration.

My sincere desire to become an esthetician is in large part due to my personal struggle, story and transformation. As a young teen, I struggled with my appearance, specifically, my skin. I just did not feel attractive. I was very insecure and did not think that any of my peers would like me nor would they want to become friends with me. In a world where people are always taking selfies and making posts, I shied away from cameras and social activities because I did not want to be photographed. I became very depressed and even entertained suicidal thoughts as a way to relieve the pain. Thankfully, God allowed my best friend to speak to me in my darkest moment, speaking encouragement into me, showing me love and compassion. From that time forward, I learned how to take care of my skin and gained real confidence in myself. I no longer see myself through a negative lens. I am filled with positivity, and I walk around with a smile. Now, I am able to feel good in the skin I’m in, take excellent care of myself, and look for ways to help others do the same. My self-worth has increased so much that I have done some modeling last summer for a couple of local designers and participated at a fashion show at my church. For me, becoming an esthetician is not just about helping people to look beautiful, I want to help people feel beautiful. Please consider me for this scholarship because I will study harder and work harder than anyone in my class. I will ensure that your investment in me will reap tremendous benefits - not only for myself, but for my clients and my community, as well. Completing my academic requirements in esthetics and obtaining my license will be a significant step in furthering a lifetime of learning, the beginning of my professional career, and allow for more opportunities for me to be of service to others. By providing financial assistance to me, you are helping to make my goals more achievable and making it less of a financial struggle for me and my family. My career goals include one day owning my own skincare spa working with diverse types of skin and teaching others the benefits of skin care. I would also like to develop an expertise that allows me to help people who are dealing with medical conditions that impact their skin. Once I am well established, I plan to regularly offer some free services to teens in my community who may have similar skin issues as I did while growing up and show them how to take care of their skin so that they won't despair or be filled with anxiety and depression. I want to be an example to them of how they can rise above self-doubt and achieve their goals.

My sincere desire to become an esthetician is in large part due to my personal struggle, story and transformation. As a young teen, I struggled with my appearance, specifically, my skin. I just did not feel attractive. I was very insecure and did not think that any of my peers would like me nor would they want to become friends with me. In a world where people are always taking selfies and making posts, I shied away from cameras and social activities because I did not want to be photographed. I became very depressed and even entertained suicidal thoughts as a way to relieve the pain. Thankfully, God allowed my best friend to speak to me in my darkest moment, speaking encouragement into me, showing me love and compassion. From that time forward, I learned how to take care of my skin and gained real confidence in myself. I no longer see myself through a negative lens. I am filled with positivity, and I walk around with a smile. Now, I am able to feel good in the skin I’m in, take excellent care of myself, and look for ways to help others do the same. My self-worth has increased so much that I have done some modeling last summer for a couple of local designers and participated at a fashion show at my church. For me, becoming an esthetician is not just about helping people to look beautiful, I want to help people feel beautiful. I graduate from Banneker High School in Atlanta, Georgia on May 14, 2025 with a 3.4 GPA. I have already been accepted into Ogle Beauty school and will begin on September 8, 2025. I applied on my own and completed the interview process. I will be the first person in my family to attend a trade school and I am very excited about my future. I researched several beauty school options and decided on Ogle because they had 98% licensure rate, a 87% graduation rate, and almost 80% job placement rate. The reviews were very positive and they recently opened a new campus in Atlanta, Georgia. My biggest inspiration is my Granny. She loves me unconditionally and we are very close. She is amazing; like a super hero to me. She is always supportive; shows up at every school, church, or volunteer event that I participate in. She's loved by my friends, neighbors, and community. She has such a big heart and is such a caring person. Almost every Sunday, she cooks large meals and invites family and friends over to feed their bellies and their souls. Some of the things I've learned from her are to have confidence in myself, demonstrate compassion toward others, and to look for ways to be of service while not expecting anything in return. I hope that you will choose me to receive this scholarship because I will study harder than anyone in my class. I'll ensure your investment in me will reap great benefits, not only for me, but for my clients & community. Completing my esthetic courses & obtaining my license will be a significant step in furthering a lifetime of learning, the beginning of my professional career, and allow for more opportunities for me to be of service to others. Receiving the scholarship will make my goals achievable & less of a financial struggle for me & my family. Thank you for your consideration.