It all began during my sophomore of high school. After years of wanting to fit in and be “popular,” I had just gotten rejected from the volleyball team after playing for years. The one thing I felt like I was good enough at, I wasn't good enough at. So, my mind instantly went to, if I'm prettier or skinnier maybe then I'll be good enough. But even after my pants slowly began to be too large and after months of restrictive eating, It still wasn't enough. I lost friendships, missed out on celebrations, struggled with my relationship with God, and lost myself. Then just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, my mom got diagnosed with cancer. My mom being my best friend, I knew I couldn't have her worrying about my health when she had her own health the take care of. So I decided to give recovery a try. It definitely wasn't easy and it definitely wasn't a straight line. but I knew with the amount of Faith I still had in God and the support of my peers I could do it. Since deciding to lean fully on God and pick myself back up I have learned to love myself through his eyes rather than the eyes of this world and societal standards. I'd be lying if I said I didn't battle my insecurities and judge the reflection looking back at me in the mirror day to day. But isn't it the battles we experience that help others get through their battles? It is like someone trying to teach someone how to roll a perm who has never rolled a perm before. We teach by going through the process of learning, just like we learn from our battles to help others with theirs. It is the things that we experience that make us who we are today and who we want to be tomorrow. So why do I want to be a stylist? I want to be someone who gets to make a difference in the negative world we live in today. I want to be the person who makes the girl that walked into the salon dreading looking into the mirror, feel like she is the prettiest girl in the whole room when she leaves my chair. Not because I changed her appearance, but because I shared my story with her as she processed her color for 30 minutes or because she learned to love the hair on her head and the eyes that complement her fresh hair color, because I too, was that girl. There is so much power in spreading love and positivity in the beauty industry that is under looked and I am excited to be that example. My goal in life isnt to be the richest business owner or have the fanciest house and car. My goal in life is to teach others to love themselves through the eyes of their creator. And I get to do that through the skills that I've enjoyed since I was a little girl. I've always had a passion for cosmetology and beauty but the fear of failure kept me from pursuing that dream. But after years of career changes and realizing my purpose in life was to love those around me I chose to give my dream a go. I'm excited to use my skills and passion for cosmetology to build my dream career as a hairstylist but most importantly I'm excited to be a stepping stone in people's lives to building confidence in their own skin through my profession as a cosmetologist.

Ever since I was a little girl, I always loved doing hair and makeup. From playing with my mom's hair to sitting on my stairs learning to braid my doll's hair. I always had a passion for the beauty industry, even if it took me years to realize it. During these years of figuring out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life, I went through everything you could think of that a teenage girl trying to figure out her life goes through. Heartbreak, anxiety, depression, insecurities. While also battling all these emotions and trials in my life, I was trying to figure out who I was meant to be. A nurse, a psychologist, a personal trainer. While all these careers are paths I would love to take, after 2 years of college, I still was unsure that this was where I was meant to be. Let me back up a little bit. In my sophomore year of high school, I was a 15-year-old girl who wanted to be popular and fit in. I played volleyball and hung out with all the "popular" kids, yet I still didn't feel like I was good enough, pretty enough, or liked enough. This led me to fall into the idea that if I was prettier, I'd be worth more. Which then led to an eating disorder and severe body dysmorphia. I lived the next few years of my life battling the negative thoughts inside my head. After many months of counseling and guidance, I started to gain my confidence back. And that is when I knew I wanted to make a difference in this world. I want to be the person who makes the girl struggling to love herself feel confident in her brand-new hair when she leaves the salon because I, too, was that girl. Everyone deserves to know they are beautiful in their own skin, and I want to be the one to help other girls feel that confidence. So, I decided to drop out of college and attend cosmetology school to pursue a career in the beauty industry. When I graduate cosmetology school I hope to eventually own my own salon. I want the goal of my business to be to spread love and positivity and use the beauty industry to build up other women. However, with school comes costs. I grew up in a middle-class home. My parents have bent over backward to financially support me in my career, even when I changed paths many times. My mom has always been my biggest supporter. However, with paying medical bills and other expenses, I pay most of my schooling out of pocket. This money comes from my part-time job I work after school and on the weekends. Having extra support with paying for school would significantly relieve financial stress from not only myself but also my family and allow me to build my dream business without the burden of previous and current student loans.