Imagine yourself snuggled up, sleeping comfortably in your bed. You're in that perfect position with the perfect temperature. The TV plays softly in the background, lulling you deeper into sleep. When suddenly, you feel this immense dry, itchy, painful sensation. At first, it starts off mild. It's just on your arm, so you scratch it and turn over hoping it goes away. But after only a brief moment of relief, the sensation is back and spreading. You can feel it on your arms, creeping to your thighs, and back. No longer able to sleep, you go from lying there peacefully to scratching and digging into your skin until it's raw. You turn on a light to see what's going on. Upon pulling the sheets, you're now faced with the large dry, flaky patches of skin covering your body that are hot, red, and full of nail marks from scratching. You reach for your trusty steroid cream for another night, temporarily alleviating your severe eczema just to get a good night's sleep. Hi, my name is Ciana, and this was my life up until I was 17 years old. I became fed up with the sleepless nights, the steroid cream dependency, and the poor condition of my skin—a circumstance that millions of Americans deal with daily. I began to study and research on my own, looking for ways to heal my skin. This led me down a rabbit hole of products, ingredients, holistic/natural remedies, food science, and so much more. I knew right then I wanted to specialize in skin. Cue the next 3 years testing skincare products on myself to truly understand how they worked, the best way to use them, what to use them with, what not to use them with, etc. This was all-consuming for me, and before I knew it, my entire lifestyle had changed. I was clearing my eczema, acne, dark spots, fine lines, sun damage, and stretch marks. If it had anything to do with the skin, I was completely invested. Soon enough, I was coming across people who had similar experiences to my own. I would help them by giving recommendations and educating them on certain foods to eat and products to buy. I enjoyed this so much that I found the best Esthetic Program in my state, quit my waitressing job to move 2 hours away from home and pursue my career in skin specialty. Although some people would consider this a rash decision, I see it as bold. I hope those at Bold.org agree with me. My goal is to master my trade and go on to educate and help others. I've maintained a 4.0 GPA and plan to continue my education in the future. Eventually, I hope to be able to own an affordable skincare line that targets all skin needs. Help me help the world.