At 7:00am every Saturday, I pull my cosmetology case out of the closet and hear a tiny voice behind me. "Are you getting ready for school, mommy?" my daughter asks, rubbing her eyes, sleepily. I don't mean to wake her up but it's like clockwork. It's almost as if she wakes up just to see me off and my heart melts every time. Occasionally her little sister will awaken too and want cuddles before I walk out the door to spend the next hour on the metro to arrive at my destination. I have been fighting to finish this cosmetology program with mishaps and set backs and I'm still quite a few months shy of graduation. Kissing their little foreheads before I leave out give me the motivation to keep going when I want to quit. When I return home, after dinner and bath time and all the snuggles, I finally sit down to study via videos and wait for the oldest of the four to come ask me if I'm watching pedicure tutorials. Children are little sponges and soak in everything. They watch so closely even when I don't realize, wanting to do what I do. My daughters constantly say how much they love school just like mommy. Little do they know I am beyond ready to be out of school and to finally have completed this milestone. I won't tell them either. Over the course of a year my children have seen an incredible change in me from a sadness of defeat to a headstrong stubbornness that refuses to quit just because the circumstances have gotten a little hard. We have faced potential homelessness, a struggle for stability and refuse to let them live like that again. My daughters have watched and even when they struggle, now they are determined to see their tasks through just because they are frustrated. Whether it's learning to read or learning how to tie their shoes, they just don't quit anymore. I very rarely hear the words "I can't" any more. Because of that I keep going. I see a change in them and I know if I quit, so will they. I started cosmetology school because I wanted my girls to see it's never too late to chase your dreams. I went back to school to give me the skills to make sure that struggle is not all they knew. I set myself to change and grow without realizing the impact that it would have on my children. Now that I have, there's no turning back.

I entered into cosmetology school with the goal to learn everything that there was to know about cosmetology. As anyone who has been to cosmetology school will tell you, that was aiming a bit too high. I will however learn the basics and skills that will start me on my career and get the practice needed to get a good handle on those skills to build on in my down time on the floor. I am at the point of utilizing my instructors' skills and learning a few little tricks and hacks to work around the basics and work them into my own way. Being on the floor gives me time and resources to experiment so one of the perks of cosmetology school is the ability to mess up there, preferably on a mannequin, instead of ruining my reputation before I gain one once I start taking clients under my own license. I gain the opportunity to either create beautiful cuts or learn how to fix a butchered one. I have had to learn to color cleanse to correct color so I plan to work in bettering my skills in color correction. In short the base of what I'm gaining from a cosmetology education thus far is opportunity. The opportunity to learn new skills and techniques, the opportunity to practice, the opportunity to mess up and the opportunity to grow. With these opportunities I can set my future goals in place. If asked what are my short term goals at this point, it is most definitely to phase in order to graduate and get licensed. Every goal has been broken down in my mind to the point of something like video game checkpoints. They go from small little pieces that just build and build until as the story unfolds. Therefore in order to build, my short term goals are actually incredibly short term. Graduation and licensing are the biggest short term goals. I plan on securing a job and gaining reciprocity in my home state and nearest territory in order to move fluidly and continue my education working multiple salons in a rotating schedule instead of staying in just one with only one way method. I don't ever plan on ending my cosmetology education. After graduation, I will continue learning in salons, in seminars, courses and of course online. I plan for growth and becoming the best cosmetologist I can be so that I can eventually open my own salon and spa to fund a non-profit and scholarship program to help other struggling aspiring cosmetologist. Gaining skills and perfecting those skills to give my clients the best experience will be the ultimate goal. It's my aim to never stop learning about my craft.

For the majority of my life, I have been told that I am incapable of achieving my goals. I was told I dream too big and too unrealistically. I was told that I wasn't talented enough, intelligent enough, and dedicated enough. I unfortunately believed these words as most of them came from someone I trusted with my very life. They came from none other than my very own father. At the core of all my hopes and dreams has always been a desire to help people. I wanted to create spaces that people felt safe, cherished and could flourish into their best selves. I will admit, I am a dreamer, however I put those dreams into plans and created goals and I will achieve them. My current goal? It's to finish cosmetology school. You see, this is the next small step into setting up a few non-profits to benefit unhoused families and the next generation of cosmetologist and artist. First I aim to gain the skills needed in all aspects of cosmetology while setting up a network of other cosmetologist and estheticians. Through this network I can plan to set up events at different shelters and resource centers to help provide grooming services for the people in need be it for an upcoming interview, just to life their spirits or whatever else is needed at that point. This is, of course just the smallest snippet of my plans. I want to create a network that begins nationwide. To go beyond that aspect of my goals, I want to also create scholarships and programs for young aspiring cosmetologist. It seems as if the cost for cosmetology schools raise each year making it harder and harder for some people to make the choice to follow their dreams into the beauty industry. I know becoming a cosmetologist was a huge dream of mine for many years. I have loved the beauty industry since before I knew it was an industry. I know for a fact that I am not alone in that. I want to create programs that go in depth into the different aspects of cosmetology instead of just the basics that we get from cosmetology school. I would love to partner with schools to provide affordable continuing education for students fresh out that still need to learn new techniques and broaden their skills. I know how important these dreams were to me and the I achieve my goals, I am going to reach back and pull others up with me. I know there is space for all of us. I spent most of my life believing that I couldn't achieve my most special and cherished dreams because they were too much for another person and that person didn't have the same vision for my life that I had. I am determined enough, I am intelligent enough and I am talented enough. It took me a while to see it myself and it took me quite a bit of work but I can stand proud and say I will achieve my goals because I am enough.

I've been taking care of people my whole life. From a small child I would care for my mom when she was sick, not that she asked of course. In fact I'm sure she would have preferred I spent my time playing instead, but that's just who I am. I care. So when I found cosmetology, I fell in love. Originally, I was set to pursue more "traditional" educational paths. My heart, however, just wasn't in it. I couldn't focus, I couldn't force interest, and there was not creative outlet in those original pursuits. Mostly I was following someone else's plan for me and it just wasn't good enough. I needed to follow my passions. Cosmetology allows me to be creative and artistic but most importantly it allows me a way to help other people in a big way. When you look your best, you feel your best and this trade allows me to help others put their best foot forward. The smiles and changes in moods I get to see bring so much fulfillment to my life. It's so much more than just styling hair or painting nails or make-up. It's a way to bring about a real change in people's lives, to help foster self esteem and to remind people of just how amazing they really are. It's providing a listening ear to vent to, a sounding board for ideas and helping to bring creative ideas to fruition. This profession means the world to me and I'm so grateful for the trade schools that make it possible.

I have loved cosmetology since I was a very small child. I would watch sit and watch my mom meticulously apply her makeup every morning and watch her as she would touch up her hair. In doing so, I learned how to apply a full face of makeup by the age of 3, my aunt's ruined Mary Kay stash bore witness to this. I got older, developed more interest but my love of hair and makeup never faded. By my senior year if high school I had personally dyed my hair a plethora of times moving through the rainbow. I had changed my hair from sew-ins to box braids, micros to cornrows, long to short, relaxed to natural. Makeup was a must on the daily. It was extremely rare that I ever left home with a bare face. As I started planning for my future, looking for where I wanted my future to take me, cosmetology weighed heavy on my mind but I was heavily discouraged against it. From my father, who's mother was a cosmetologist, I was told it was a bad career choice and I needed to stay in school. "Maybe pursue it as a side gig when you have a real job," he said. From my stepmother I was told I "wouldn't cut it, no pun intended". Even my hair stylist tried to defer me saying that now days it costs too much and wasn't worth it for what's taught. These were people I trusted so I listened. Until my life collapsed. My other career paths were not leading me anywhere. I wasn't happy, the threat of homelessness dangled over my head and having four children depending on me, I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue my passion. I was scared out of my mind of the future. I kept hearing those lectures in my head about how this was the wrong choice but I knew it was right for me. I knew that despite what they kept telling me, this choice will work out for me and its so worth taking the chance. So I worked out a deal with my children's grandmother and enrolled in cosmetology school. I know this is supposed to be what I am doing. I'm supposed to be helping people feel their best selves. I'm supposed to help people express themselves using the creativity through their makeup, hair and nails. It may not be huge but if I can help brighten at least one person's day each day, I feel my purpose would be fulfilled. The only thing missing is help to reach those goals. Financially this is a bit much as a mom trying to get back on my feet. I would be eternally grateful for this assistance to be able to complete my studies and fulfill my purpose.

From the time I was a small child, cosmetology has been a huge love of mine. My aunt loves to tell the story of how at three years old I got into her Mary Kay makeup inventory and applied a full face from the proper shade of foundation and blush down to the lipstick. It was applied quite heavily, but accurate to shade and placement. From there my love of makeup grew and a love of hairstyling and nail art began. Childhood Christmases began to be filled with dolls and doll heads that graduated to student mannequins, makeup playsets, and cute little dress-up press-on nails. As I got older, my father got stricter and makeup and nails were all but banned, however, the gifts of mannequin heads remained. My interest in styling hair continued to be supported and my love for it grew and grew. As I continued to grow older I learned more and more about my family, eventually learning that my grandmother was a cosmetologist herself.. It almost felt like destiny that I would follow in her footsteps. Circumstance would most definitely expedite that fate. Last year I found myself if the process of starting life over. In the midst of an extremely troubled relationship, the potential homelessness of myself and my small children is constantly held over my head. I had to find a way to better our lives and be able to walk away safety with the knowledge and skills that I can take anywhere and provide my children the stability the deserve. Life long passion combined with need led me to cosmetology school. With this cosmetology license, not only can I provide stability for my children but one of my goals is to work with local women & children and family homeless shelters to help provide haircare to help have one less thing to worry about. Even before the threat was held over my head, the issue of homelessness has always been near to my heart. I’ve seen first hand the effects it has hand on children, the added struggle on adults trying to find work or just trying to make it work for their families. I believe when you look your best, it is much easier to feel your best and more confident. Confidence is so important when presenting yourself to the world be it in school or job interviews. It is my goal to provide hair care, nail and makeup services to families experiencing homelessness in an effort to help boost their self confidence and assist in their self expression as they navigate this world and gain the stability they need. I desire to be the assistance my friends didn’t have and that I know I would need in the event of ever being in that position myself.

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.