When you grow up with a mom who’s a cosmetologist, “self-care” is an important factor of your life, mainly the kind of self-care that involves long showers, bubble baths, and face masks. While I still enjoy these things, I’ve realized that I was hiding things that made me prettier to society behind the ruse of self-care and relaxation. It wasn’t until high school that I realized there was another side to self-care. Life got a lot more stressful, and I had to learn how to prioritize my health, even above my appearance. Some nights I had to choose to skip a homework assignment to ensure I got enough sleep. I had to learn to drink enough water and manage my time productively, so that future me would have an easy time. And although I still love a pamper night, this type of self-care is way more important. After struggling with the stress of high school for a while, I decided to start a club focused on self-care. My Self Care and Beauty Club blends pampering with productivity to help my peers cope with everyday stress- especially the kind caused by school. Mixing self-care with self-expression leads to an enjoyable and balanced life, yet before my club, neither of those topics were discussed in school. Since the formation of my club we’ve discussed goal setting, productivity, and (in my upcoming Halloween special) dealing with negative emotions, building a group of friends, and using nature to cure ailments (when in doubt, slather your problems with honey). Now that I’m a club leader, self-care has impacted my life in more ways than one, and I hope to share the importance of putting yourself first with as many of my peers as possible.

“Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide” is a quote from the essay “Self- Reliance” written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous American Transcendentalist. This quote- along with the riveting details of John Proctor's affair in The Crucible- is this only thing I remember from my three years of high school literature. I remember the day I first heard this quote because it struck me in a way no other had before. To be honest, I despise the literature taught in school. It’s usually mind-numbingly boring, hard to decipher, and useless. But this was different. I understood this. And not just as a piece of text, but as an experience I could relate to. For most of my life, I’ve found myself wishing I was someone else so that I could be better than who I really was. When I heard that quote, I realized that in trying to be like anyone else I was killing me. There was and only will be one me, and I’d be depriving the world of that person forever if I didn’t let her live. I wrote the quote down in big letters at the top of my notebook, complete with an admirable attempt at a skull. I won’t pretend that I always show up as my authentic self, but I can say that every now and again that quote pops into my mind (like right now!) and reminds me that wishing to be anyone else is diminishing who I really am. The only way to achieve true success- whether you interpret that as happiness or something else- is to use your own gifts and let your true self shine. Because, as Waldo said, “though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till” (Self Reliance).

I remember the day I discovered bar soap could be turned into a body wash-like substance if left in water. It was in one of my bubble baths where I’d mix whatever products were in reach and get in trouble for wasting money. Fast forward a few years to when I started buying shea butter from the Beauty Supply to mix with oils. I fell in love with my soft, shiny skin, but more importantly, I fell in love with the process of making things. That’s why I hopped on the idea of selling beauty products with my friend during our freshman year of high school. Sadly, we split during sophomore year, leaving me with a business name and no profit to reinvest. That summer, I bought 48 jars, a few ingredients, and labels. This was my first mistake, and I soon realized that the weight on the labels didn’t match the actual weight of the product that fit in the jars. Despite this, I sold my first jars to family and friends before deciding on a whim to make my website. The next morning, I woke up to thousands of likes on a TikTok video I made and a sold-out site. I took a moment to cry before realizing my second mistake: not being prepared with shipping supplies. Now I make sure to have everything I need for a launch ahead of time. At the time I’m writing this, I’ve made and sold hundreds of products. I’ve also upgraded my packaging, including accurate labels, free stickers, and thank you cards all designed by me. I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished and I can’t wait to see where I’ll go next. My business is called Reverie Beauty (Thereveriebeauty online) and it's a personal care brand specializing in handmade products for healthy, beautiful skin. The products and the brand itself are designed to make users feel “dreamy” and create joy via pastel colors and dream-inspired imagery. On top of that, a majority of my products come in fun scents like cotton candy, chocolate, and strawberry that improve your mood and keep you smelling good. 5% of my profit is donated to a charity so that my customers and I can also feel good morally. I wanted to create a brand that replicates the joy I feel when I’m making a new product and I think I’ve been succeeding at that. Growing up I was never interested in “entrepreneurship” but I think it was always in my future. I’m an idea generator, and entrepreneurship is the perfect outlet for everything I have in my head. When I started Reverie Beauty it was for the fun of it. I love making products and I had the money to spare, so I went for it. That leap of faith opened up a world of possibilities. I finally see a future where I can make money doing the things I enjoy. I have big dreams for my business. For starters, I want to hire a graphic designer to upgrade and solidify the brand. I’d also like to hire a website designer to make my website more user-friendly and increase the number of checkouts. Hopefully, this will lead to being able to afford ingredients in bigger bulk, which would result in selling more affordable products (I hope to reduce the price of shipping for customers, also to increase the number of checkouts). Once all this is done I’ll be able to achieve my bigger goal of becoming a well-known brand among my target demographic of young women. Finally, I’d like to write a book or start an initiative inspiring other young women to keep their heads in the clouds. I often think of the girls that gave up on their dreams instead of chasing them, and I’d like to give them a confidence boost. In the end, I have one major goal for Reverie Beauty. To solidify my brand by delivering consistent products to a dedicated following. I think I can bring a fresh, joyous spin to the beauty industry and cater to the young and whimsical in an authentic way. No “refined” packaging or outrageous prices to convince you you’re getting a luxury product. I want to make quality products that remind all the dreamers to bring their creative spirit and big ideas into every aspect of life. I see a future where a young woman can use my products and tackle the real world with all her daydreams intact, proving that you can be colorful, whimsical, and AND successful.

My name is Kaylah McGuffie and I have big dreams. I’m a stuck-in-her-head always daydreaming kind of girl. These dreams are such a huge part of my identity that I named my first business “Reverie Beauty”. Just like Mary Jo Huey, I took a leap of faith at 16. I used a few hundred dollars left over from a modeling job- the only real job I’ve had- and bought the supplies needed to make 48 body butters and body scrubs. I had previous experience making a few body butters to sell at school, but this was my first time designing a website and purchasing from wholesalers. Despite this, I felt no fear. I got to express my creativity by formulating products, and if I failed to sell anything I’d have a stash of body care products to give as gifts. Fortunately, I didn't fail. Thanks to a viral TikTok video, I sold out overnight. The next day I didn’t eat or drink, I could only focus on buying packaging supplies, responding to comments, crying, and listening to Nancy Ajram songs on repeat- despite not knowing any Arabic. Since then I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that running a business by myself isn’t easy work. Making dozens of the same products is redundant and involves none of the creativity that first drew me to starting my business. I’ve wanted to quit multiple times, and I’ve certainly taken breaks longer than I should have. I’ve learned the importance of planning things ahead of time after ordering a fragrance for my winter collection and *hating* it, which pushed me behind schedule as I scrambled to find an alternative. I learned how to interact with customers, as well as how to overcome the gut-wrenching feeling of having to issue a refund. I’ve learned that I struggle with keeping track of time and income and that a schedule and business bank account are necessary for a good business. Most importantly I’ve learned that I am capable of amazing things if I just try and have faith. This might not seem like much, but as someone who has struggled with imposter syndrome and perfectionism, I’ve always kept myself in a shell for fear of failure. Now I see that even if I stumble along the way, I will always recover and even succeed if I put myself out there (that’s why I’m applying for this scholarship)! Anyone who runs an operation by themselves knows it’s hard to self-motivate. Without a boss to yell at you or a partner to depend on, it’s easy to hit snooze and slack off. I find that I constantly have to remind myself of my why: why do I have to work hard and why shouldn’t I give up? The answer lies in those dreams I mentioned earlier. I want to move out of the “hood” of West Philadelphia and into a quiet, safe neighborhood, where I can hopefully stay close to my grandma. She too is a hard worker and has always been a generous person. It would be nice to become successful enough to start a charity (maybe even a scholarship) in her name to immortalize her giving spirit. Even if I can’t start a charity, I’d like to inspire other young women to try new things. I want to prove all my doubters (including myself) wrong and show that my failures have never defined me. Most importantly, I want a fulfilling life free of “what-ifs” and regrets. These are the reasons I’ve never quit. I’m going to work hard now so I can dream bigger later.

At face value I am a young black woman growing up in West Philadelphia I attend a predominantly white high school about 30 minutes away, full of both loving people and hidden racism. Still, I adore my school and the atmosphere of acceptance, fun, and academic excellence it cultivates. That excellence, in particular, is really easy to achieve when you have skills in math or a knack for art. While I admit I’m intelligent and do well in all my classes, my true skill doesn’t reside in memory recall or logical thinking. I am an idea generator. I come up with things across many fields of interest: recipes, novel plots, fashion designs, product ideas, poetry, and the like. Sadly, these skills don’t translate well to school, where you can’t bring in a novel you wrote and receive an A in literature. I had no idea I could satisfy my constant need for innovation until my friend asked me to start a beauty business with her. A few years later I broke off on my own, starting Reverie Beauty and becoming an overnight sensation on social media. It hasn’t all been peaches and cream since then. The hype eventually died down, the hidden costs of business snuck up on me, and running a one-woman business clashed with school- but I’ve never given up. Now that I’ve been doing business for around a year (although I have taken breaks to focus on school) I understand a bit more about my hopes for the future of Reverie Beauty. My first big achievement will be making my business 100% legitimate. I’ve grown from selling a few products to family and friends, so now I want to apply for an LLC and open a business bank account. This will be necessary for my future goals, like hiring employees, purchasing machines and things like custom boxes, and having access to software like after pay and some marketing services. Somewhere along the journey, I hope to become a well-known brand that people among my target demographic (young women around 15-24) can easily recognize. Once that happens I’ll be able to help them feel beautiful, treat themselves, and have fun all at the same time. Being able to help foster that feeling of happiness and self-love in other women is something I desire to achieve because that’s how I like to feel when I take a shower or put on makeup. The rest of my goals are what I personally want from the business. For starters, I’d like an outlet for my creativity. One of my favorite parts of running Reverie Beauty is buying new ingredients and testing new formulas. To have this become a job that can support me and my family for generations would be a dream come true. Second, I’d like to make enough business income that my charitable donations make a real impact. As of now, 5% of my profits go to charities that change with the season. I’d like to be making enough that I can donate thousands of dollars to breast cancer research and other causes. This is because my GramGram always reminds me that you accomplish nothing meaningful in life if you don't help others. What’s the point of me accumulating wealth if I don’t use it to aid the less fortunate? I want to make my GramGram proud in everything I do, including the businesses I create. Finally, I’d like to make enough income to be able to create other businesses and branch out into the other fields I’m interested in. I want to design clothing and open bakeries, and I believe that if I start soon I can achieve all of this and more in my lifetime. So what am I doing to achieve these goals? The most important and practical thing I do is constantly look for new information and opportunities to learn. I listen to business success stories, watch videos on marketing, and research the steps to legalize a business (this is by far the most confusing step for me). I’ve been saving what I have and looking for ways to make more money to invest in things like a label printer and new oils and fragrances to formulate with. I spend hours researching the benefits of certain ingredients (for example, do kokum butter and babassu oil benefit the skin or do they just sound cool?) and calculating ratios for new formulas. Even though the social media hype surrounding my business has died down, I haven’t given up on using social media to gain new customers. I post behind the scenes videos of packing orders and creating products, and I send emails to the people that signed up for my email list. I believe my great aunt (who certainly watches over me) blessed me with the initial exposure I received in social media, and it’s now my job to convert all the people who have followed me or signed up for emails into customers. My next big step in achieving my business goals- particularly in solidifying my brand- is working with a graphic designer to develop a firm brand identity that can be used to improve my website, social media, product labels, and packaging: such as branded shipping boxes, free stickers, thank you cards, and tissue paper. The unboxing experience and the aesthetics of the product capture customers, especially when it comes to small businesses. All in all, I have a very long way to go. I’m very proud of myself, especially because I managed to come so far and still receive high marks in school. I’m incredibly excited for the future and can’t wait to innovate and expand. If you want to check out my business, you can do so at thereveriebeauty.com or @thereveriebeauty on Instagram. Thank you for this opportunity!

I’d like to start by saying that I’m an Aquarius. I know, zodiac signs seem like a last-minute ice breaker or an excuse not to go on a second date (for the record, I don’t think Geminis are as bad as everyone makes them out to be) but I believe the general attributes of an Aquarius coincide with some of my best qualities. However, my journey towards self-acceptance only began last year, so for now I’d like to tell you about my upbringing. I’ve lived in the same neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for my entire life. The neighborhood is admittedly dangerous and impoverished, but when I look around I see only the place where I spent the best years of my life with my friends and family. A mere few feet from my house you can find both of my uncles’ names written on the windows of the complex community center, a seemingly immortal reminder of when my grandparents lived a few houses away. Past the 3rd grade, I was fortunate enough to attend nice schools- although the difference between my current high school and my “nice” middle school can be likened to the difference between a mansion and a pigpen. The cost of tuition along with uniforms, lunch, trip fees, and dances meant I needed the help of multiple scholarships along with multiple family members. Still, I can’t afford the summer programs and online courses that other girls at my school take to advance themselves further. The expense of education also causes me to worry about the burden of college tuition on my family and my future self. For these reasons, I push myself harder to stand out and build a resume that will increase my chances of receiving valuable opportunities and scholarships. Standing out never came easily to me. I’ve always been shy and afraid of being embarrassed. What changed? In the summer of 2020, I took the last $300 I made from an acting job and started a small business. It was a minuscule launch; I handmade 48 jars of body care products, designed labels for them, and decided at the last minute to create a website to sell them. Whether it be pure luck or my great aunt watching over me, I went viral on social media and suddenly had a sold-out website and thousands of email subscribers. Since then, I’ve begun to realize that my creativity and talents are worth sharing. I’ve always wanted to be an author- primarily of fantasy and thriller novels-, a poet, fashion designer, baker, and makeup artist along with being a successful student and even more successful chemist or doctor. This experience has not only provided me with a path to entrepreneurship but also with the confidence to pursue all of my interests. I realized that the only way to “fail” at life is to never have attempted at least some of the things I’m interested in. I’m already compiling a collection of poetry to publish and can see myself creating a clothing brand when my current business scales up. I'm taking my first AP class next year (Latin because I have such a wonderful teacher) and I’ve tried many different sciences to see which I’d like to pursue. The question “what do you hope to achieve in your life” fills me with so much joy because my real goals are just to try everything I’ve always wanted to do. The most difficult challenge may be managing being an honors student while pursuing side projects, but I know from experience that even the smallest ventures can result in unimaginable rewards. So what makes me such a textbook Aquarius? I’m a bucket full of ideas. From stories to business, art, and music, I never run out of creative concepts. I’m also a loving person. With my future successes (sure to come if I continue to push myself and explore my talents and interests) I desire to start my own charity- aimed to help impoverished people across the globe improve their lives long term- so that I know I’m making a direct impact on someone’s life. I hope that I can be a modern example of the water-bearer and usher in a shift towards more loving attitudes and actions among society. In short, my creative qualities help arm me with the tools to chase my many goals and my desire to share my rewards gives me the motivation to do so. One day my name will be on a Forbes list or a bookstore shelf, and I hope I can use this scholarship to make that day come sooner.

I love entrepreneurship because I am a creative person. To be honest, I've never worked for another business. I recoil at the thought of clocking in and doing the same monotonous task daily. When my school required that I take a test to determine my strengths I was quite disappointed to hear that my biggest strength was “idea generation”. I thought that it was useless and meant that I had no real talents. Now I know I was looking at it from the perspective of someone that wants to work for others- which requires competing with other people that have the exact same set of skills. The fact that I am blossoming with ideas means that I'm destined for a life that’s creative and free. I know I'll need help with execution along the way, but entrepreneurship to me is the key to a life that is exciting and comfortable. Aside from freedom and enough income to buy what I really want (meaning I'll no longer have to put a book back because it's expensive or refrain from going out to eat) I don't desire much. I know not everyone can be an activist or a politician that can make concrete change, but I cannot fathom being a person that hoards money or spends money just because they can. That is the reason why I made it my mission to use my extra money to donate to every cause that I can. When I do become successful in my entrepreneurial endeavors I know I'll use my money in the way I wish so many billionaires would. This thought motivates me when figuring out how to run a small business gets difficult. I know I have a good heart and I truly believe that I will be blessed with the means to use it. Using my income isn't the only way entrepreneurship is going to help me change the world. As of now, 5% of my small business‘ profit is donated to charity (my personal favorite being the Breast Cancer Research Foundation). This not only provides help to people in need but also gives customers a feeling of pride that I hope they carry into their communities and find other ways to offer aid. I also hope to raise the standard for eco-friendliness. The only way we can save and protect our planet is through a joint effort, and I think providing customers with affordable products that are sustainably made would raise their standards and cause bigger companies to make a switch, therefore eliminating some of the biggest contributors to pollution. It will take more than just the few businesses I'll have, but I believe that even one eco-friendly business is doing the world a favor. Before I considered entrepreneurship, I was hopeless. I was already feeling drained by high school and I knew I wouldn't be able to last through medical school. I felt like a failure- all my dreams of escaping poverty myself and changing the world were destroyed. Now, I chase a dream where I can put my talent of creation to work. I can be innovative and dabble in fashion, cosmetics, literature, baking, and much more. I can live by my own rules and work on my terms. Most importantly, I can use my blessings to change the world for the better, because I'm the only person I can truly count on to do it.

For most of my life, I placed a lot of my self-worth in my skin. I hated almost every other aspect of myself- my stomach, my hair, the way my mouth moved when I talked- but my skin was always clear and beautiful. Then one day it wasn't. I was devastated. I tried everything to fix my acne, I felt the last little bit of my beauty- my self-worth- slip away. It seems dramatic now, but I've always struggled with self-love and acceptance. I had a poor body image, failed relationships, and a horrible fear of being embarrassed (which is unfortunate because I found everything embarrassing). These issues led me to believe horrible lies; I thought I would die alone and unloved after leading a meaningless life. I thought everyone I loved would leave me if I showed even a tiny fraction of my whole self. I thought I should have no aspirations because I would never achieve them. These thoughts, like acne, come and go. Sometimes they pop up and leave shortly, sometimes they're triggered by something like a menstrual cycle or stress, and sometimes they come and stay for months on end. I know I will never completely get rid of them, but I can say that my current days are rarely riddled with negative thoughts or zits. I have come to believe that I am kind and deserving of love just like every person on this planet, and I try to be more conscious of other people's mental states before judging them. I can appreciate my wonderful family, who will never leave and taught me that I truly am lovable. I realize that no one else cares about my imperfections as much as the voice in my head. In fact, people notice me, admire me, and want to be around me. I just have to open myself up and step out of my comfort zone- all of my fears were in my head! Most importantly I have learned that life is long and nothing is serious. I can chase any dream I want, devote my time to anything I want, and do what makes me happy. Living without ever even trying to chase my dreams is scarier than trying and failing. Although my skin is clear again, I still have acne scars. These remnants of the past linger just like the effects of my negative thoughts. The missed opportunities, lost friendships, and sad memories still haunt me. But the scars are smooth, they can easily be covered, and they will fade. I may have scars from the past, but my future is filled with self-love, freedom, authenticity, and dream chasing.

There are many problems to fix in my community. I live in a poverty-stricken area of Philadelphia, and though new apartments are being built that stick out from the surrounding ancient houses like sore thumbs, the area needs a lot of work. One of the biggest problems that distract from all the beautiful people, murals, and new buildings around is the trash scattered along the streets. People dump all kinds of odd trinkets, appliances, and sometimes even animal waste onto the sidewalks along cemeteries and houses. Those of us that want to remedy this issue do so by either sweeping up small pieces of trash ourselves or by calling property owners and city officials to remove appliances and waste. A clean environment completely changes the look of the neighborhood and keeps it safe, but my favorite way to change my community for the better is by aiding the impoverished. Directly across from my home is a building that provides low-income housing for single mothers. Many of the children that live there have very little in terms of clothing and toys. Instead of taking my old clothes to Goodwill where they may be picked up by resellers, I take my clothes to the main office of Help Philadelphia where I know they’ll go directly to someone who needs them. This also applies to old books, art supplies, and toys. I still feel shy going hauling garbage bags full of clothes and asking if they’re accepting donations, but I know I’m making a difference in another person's life. For a first-world country, the United States is riddled with more issues than I can count. Sometimes it seems that there is little that I can do- especially coming from a poor background myself- but I have found ways to address some of the pressing issues I notice. The first change I would like to see in America is the treatment of workers. This also relates to the treatment of workers around the world, as American companies are allowed to exploit foreign workers. To aid these workers I try my best to shop sustainably, secondhand, or ethically to do my part in ending the cycle of worker exploitation. These are little changes for those of us who are fortunate enough to spend on unnecessary items, but they have a big impact on workers and set an example for large companies. Another pressing issue is poor healthcare. Thousands of Americans are unable to afford healthcare, including regular checkups and emergency visits. This is a problem that can seemingly only be fixed by voting- and therefore only by people of voting age- but there are ways to help without a vote. For example, I volunteered at a local hospital in the summer of 2020. The work I did- such as answering phones and handing information packets to patients- not only helped lighten the workload of employees but also helped reduce the number of extra employees this hospital had to hire. This helped keep costs low for the hospital so that the current employees would be paid well and the hospital wouldn’t be shut down. Now in 2021 the most beneficial thing I can do to improve American healthcare is following proper COVID precautions to reduce the number of people that contract the virus. Hopefully, I can aid in making sure our hospitals never overfill and run out of space and necessary supplies again. The world is filled with endangered animals, dying land, and 7 billion people with some sort of problem. It can be scary to look at all of the problems the world faces, especially when as one person it feels almost impossible to do anything. When I look at the world I see two major changes that aren’t talked about enough that would positively impact people. One change I would like to make to the world is improving things like schooling, infrastructure, houses, and business opportunities in Third World countries. This way they will have the means to support themselves without always relying on donations. For now, I can only do things such as participate in fundraisers to build new schools and farms in other countries or donate specifically to causes like ending political injustice in Nigeria. The next issue weighs on my mind constantly because it is such a vague and difficult topic to approach. I would like to change the low levels of joy across the globe. I think of how many things that bring people joy require money or lots of extra time, and how most people in the world do not have extra money or time. I want to find a way to make small joys readily available to people across the globe. One way would be to donate books or build gardens in impoverished communities so that they may enjoy literature or nature. Another way is to share creative gifts and publish music or instructions for crafts that can be done with little money. One of the best ways I think I can increase joy through human connection is by having a Penpal or sending trinkets to kids in poor countries. These people may not have access to the Internet and I think it would be a wonderful addition to their day to be able to open a letter or receive a new toy in the mail. Overall, I wish to see a change in the joy and dignity people have around the globe. I may be one person, but I know that if I make these small efforts can play my part and changing the future of our world.

The boldest thing I’ve ever done was go on a trip to South Carolina. For starters, I have always been deathly terrified of planes. For most of my life, I refused any form of long distance travel (planes/boats) completely, which limited my ability to see the world. So the fact that I got on a plane, traveled without my mom, and held a tiger in one week is mind-blowing. I had the time of my life: the tigers were unbelievably cute, the monkey I held was a great hugger, and I made life long memories.