⸻ I first felt drawn to cosmetology at the age of eight. Even as a child, I understood that hair had the power to change how someone felt about themselves. Styling hair made people smile, stand taller, and feel seen. That feeling stayed with me as I grew older, but instead of embracing it, I tried to ignore it. I convinced myself that my passion needed to take a back seat to a more “practical” career path. Before fully committing to hair, I was enrolled at Jackson State University, pursuing a career I was not emotionally or mentally ready for. I went through the motions, but my heart was not in it. I barely passed both semesters, and deep down I knew I was forcing myself into a life that did not align with who I was. Eventually, I made the difficult decision to take a gap semester to figure out what I truly wanted for my future. That summer became a turning point. While working my regular job, I began doing hair on the side for extra income. What started as a way to make money quickly reminded me of the peace and purpose I felt whenever I was behind the chair. Still, fear held me back. I continued to treat hair as a backup plan—until life forced me to face myself. In 2024, I was fired from my job. Losing my only stable source of income sent me into a deeper depressive state. I felt lost, broke, and unsure of my worth. However, that moment of loss became the moment I stopped running from my calling. With nothing left to cling to, I chose to pour fully into cosmetology. Taking hair seriously changed everything. I went from serving one client a month to over thirty-one clients monthly. More importantly, I found healing in the process. I realized that hair was never just a skill—it was therapy, for both me and the people sitting in my chair. I listened to stories, wiped tears, and watched confidence return in real time. Through serving others, I began to rebuild myself. My dream is to open a salon called Hair Therapy, a space where beauty and emotional healing coexist. I want to pour into my community by creating a safe environment where people feel heard, uplifted, and restored. This scholarship would allow me to continue my education and fully step into the purpose I spent years avoiding. Cosmetology did not just give me a career, it gave me clarity, healing, and a second chance at believing in myself.

2016 was the year I lost two of the most influential women in my life. First being - my grandmother who died from cancer, and second, being my mother who was stripped away from me battling what is now most commonly known as depression. I was just in sixth grade when it all happened. At first, I felt as if there was a void in my life. My days grew longer and much darker. Isolating myself from reality, I also fell into a depression of my own. Four years have passed now and somehow I managed to lose track of time. Counseling didn't help, I grew farther away from reality and began to swim in a pool of anger and regret. Then the day came when I decided to stop letting all of my problems drain me until there was nothing left of me. With not only the help of counseling but also building a stronger relationship with God. Knowing that I lost so much time dwelling in my past made me realize that I could be doing much better in the present. I got more involved in community organizations and clubs in my school. I also started making more friends but yet again, I still felt as if I were still missing something. I was missing my mother. Knowing that she was here but not physically with me crushed me. I fell into depression again, but this time much worse. I started doing things that weren't like me and got into more trouble. That's when the consequences of my actions came and got my head back on the swivel. I started doing the hobbies that I loved again and finding new ones as well. Learning to face hard things came with having to let go of unhealthy habits. I also had to let go of people that weren't adding anything good to my life because it started to bring me down and set me back farther from where I was. People stopped talking and hanging out with me because I changed for the better. Little did they know I had to let them go because of the fact that I wasn't doing well. With all this being said, I had to move forward and bydoing that I created some healthy habits. I started by isolating myself from crowds that I didn't fit in and finding a groove that matched me. Though I have been through various trials, I know I'll come out stronger than I have before. These were all minor setbacks for major comebacks. I'm still growing.