My name is Mellissa Torres, and I am in my final 250 hours of a 1500 hour cosmetology program in Parker, Colorado at the Stacey James institute. I have faced a lot of adversity and instability, but I never let that jade my view on my greatest passion: the beauty industry. Being a first generation American on my moms side, and one of two of my family of 7 to go to any sort of continuing education, this journey has not been easy by any means, but is so fulfilling and worthy it. I have always been enraptured by the beauty industry as a whole, and was known as the one growing up to do hair and makeup for events. Prom, homecoming and other school dances, cheer, birthdays and weddings, I loved being hands on in it all, and would get ready as early as possible and spend the rest of the day helping everyone else. To me, beauty is empowerment, and I love to help people. Doing hair and makeup have always come natural to me, so furthering my education in the field seemed like a no brainer. However, sometimes life has other plans, and getting to this point in my life started to feel like a distant dream that may never be possible. After several different career opportunities and experiences, I was finally able to join this program last May, and couldn’t be happier. I have learned so much in this blended-passion trade of mine, and I am really looking forward to not just being a part of this career field, but also adding to it. I love being creative, and I hope to make a really significant impact on the hair community. I hope to specialize in blonding and extensions, and to work with top brand deals in the industry and collaborate with them, eventually going on to teach everyone at hosted events across the globe. Working with specific foundations and organizations, like Miss Colorado and the Rocky Mountain School of Art and Design fashion show, has also really expanded my portfolio and interest in event hair and having hundreds of people see my hard work and passion. Every strand carefully and artfully laid with intention. Color formulas curated to clients and their desires and making them feel radiant and empowered. Constantly having the opportunity to learning new techniques and skills to bring to the table and grow as a beauty professional…all of this and more than I can say are why I have, and continue to, work so hard to plant myself firmly in this trade. Scholarship opportunities are now my biggest hope of this entire journey leading me to walk at the end of my 1500 hours and make my impact.

Growing up being raised by a single mom of 5, I am no stranger to hard work, dedication and determination. We faced a lot of adversity and poverty, moving around from place to place to try and maintain some semblance of “normal” was never easy, and made me want to work hard from a young age to be self reliant and successful on my own, but also for my family. My mother is a political refugee from Cuba, she came to the U.S. at the age of 10, and had to be her families translator, which was drastically changed when her mother was murdered and found by my mother at 15. After that, she had to be her grandmother and uncles provider, while navigating her teen years and grief. This shaped mine and my siblings lives a lot. Teaching us to grow through what you go through, that our hardest seasons are lessons steeped in wisdom, and that knowledge is power. I have done a few trades and jobs in my life since the age of 13; from lawn care, to restaurants, office work, insurance and billing, most recently property management and a wedding planning side hustle. While all display my passion for helping others and learning, none quite told the story of my true passion in this life. From a young age, the beauty industry has captivated me, doing my own hair as a young kid, no matter how lopsided the pig tails, learning to braid my sisters hair to perfection, playing in their makeup, and later as a teen always being the friend asked to do hair and makeup for nights out or school events, even my sisters wedding. It was always clear to me, and those around me, that this industry would be my life’s passion. At age 29 now, I can honestly say that when I tell people I’ve known for years, that I am finally able to peruse my dreams of becoming a cosmetologist and they say “that is so you”, it is the most emotionally charged feeling of gratitude and rightness. No one else in my family has worked in this industry, most didn’t even have the opportunity to pursue continuing education, so it’s an exciting milestone for everyone- not to mention the opportunity to get their hair done by me! I fully intend to make this my full-time career. Though I love everything in this career, I am most excited about working with extensions, vivid colors and blonding in my career. I hope to make an impact in this field, as I value continued education and the ever growing environment of this profession. To me, beauty is empowerment, and to help people feel empowered through my skill will be incredibly rewarding. I hope that my passion for that is what I grow to be known for in the beauty community, and that I can teach and share my wisdom so that others can do the same. I would love to get to the point where I am helping people in my community in every season of their life and build lasting relationships with clients to where I can help the community in more ways, like volunteering or providing services for free to those who are in need, specifically women and kids suffering from domestic violence. That impact alone, would make me feel successful and whole.

I’m passionate about pursuing a certification in cosmetology. From a very young age, I have always been inspired by the beauty industry as a whole. The people I see it empowering is what fuels my desire to join the beauty industry myself, because to me, beauty is empowerment. More recently, I have had the opportunity of working with a woman named Reba, who competed in the Miss Colorado pageant. I had the immense honor of doing Reba’s hair for the pageant and learning about her work with women’s shelters and her own foundation. Being able to work with Reba and meet other incredible women, including this year winner- Jessica Keller, who is in the US Space Force, and Reba who placed 1st runner up, reinforces my belief that you can do anything you put your mind and heart into. Throughout my journey in cosmetology school, I have been continually learning and growing, which has also inspired me. The beauty industry truly brings me joy, and feeds my passion for always learning- because knowledge is power. Growing up with a single mother, and one of the youngest of five children, we faced a lot of adversity. My mother worked hard, and my siblings and I had to depend on each other a lot. My oldest sister, Natali, was burdened with a lot of this at a young age, and seeing how hard she worked to make sure we knew as little as possible and stayed happy kids, really shaped me. I do a lot of my hardest work in her name, because she often went without, and never got to go to school or pursue her own dreams. As I got older and began to understand this, I wanted to work just as hard, if not harder, so that all of her love and dedication to us didn’t go unappreciated or unnoticed. She’s one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out, and taught me a lot of things about beauty- like makeup, different hairstyles, fashion, and even some really botched highlights she tried giving me in grade school! I truly admire her determination and will for life. She’s one of my biggest cheerleaders and advocates in anything I want to do. I dedicate the pending completion of my 1500 hour cosmetology program and future career in the industry, largely to her with pride and gratitude for her sacrifices and inspiration.