I’m always astounded by my mother’s resilience through the years when I think about how well prepared she was for my birth. She explained it to me that she was alone in our apartment at the ambulance was in route but she was actually preparing herself to deliver me there in our apartment by herself. And it just so happens that a few years ago I was fortunate enough to take an accelerated Doula training course sponsored by the DONA organization. Kramers bookstore where I took the course is literally right around the corner from our old apartment and it happens to actually be an all-time favorite of ours. Growing up in Washington can be an unbelievable experience for young people. The population is astounding and the demographics within its four quadrants ooze culture. My mother has always been an educator she worked as a childcare development professional in North East, DC through out my youth which really allowed me the opportunity to see her growth. After school she would bring me to her classroom and I’d watch the children interact with each other and I was fascinated by just how well they all communicated! She would have them review their alphabets and recite it was amazing because they were all toddlers. I enjoyed her classes with them so much I asked to come during the summers instead of going to summer camp but that wasn’t an option for me. My mother has always made the necessary adjustments to provide for myself and my sisters. We have all gone through the motions in the last decade but we are all fortunate enough to have finished high school with no delay. I attended Trinity Washington University from 2010-2012 but got caught up in working two jobs and trying to maintain my student loan payments and that was very difficult for me. But my younger sibling got an associates degree from Montgomery College which is a really great achievement for my mom. In 2020, during the Covid pandemic, I gave birth to my four-year-old son who is now preparing to enter kindergarten, which is exciting so he spends lots of time with his grandmother. They love to read the National Geographic subscription that I purchased for him. He also enjoys little luxuries as he is her first grandchild. Being raised by a teenage mother, definitely comes with its stigmas as it is easy to tell when people are raised with care, and when others are not. The people that assisted my mother in raising me, are all sound in my decision to further my education at this time. The scholarship would be a payment toward my tuition at Aveda art Institute in Arlington, Virginia, where I will be training for my esthetician license With an anticipated graduation date of December 6, 2024. After I finish training, I plan to attend the national laser Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they provide a two week training course on laser resurfacing for the skin and once I am done with that training I will be coming back home to pursue a my degree as an RN at a local college. Skin care has been a passion of mine for many years and I feel really confident and pursuing my education this way thank you for taking the time to read my submission as it means a lot to me.

My son, and I just moved into an apartment after being homeless for three years, and the most difficult part is adjusting your lifestyle choices whether it be school or work it all becomes difficult at one point or another. We live in a subsidized housing community where I’m being provided a rental subsidy through the state in order to pay my rent. I only work part time and I am in school part-time, pursuing a licensing as an aesthetician at Aveda in Arlington, Virginia. Once I finish my licensing in December 2024, I plan to pursue a laser licensing at the national laser Institute in Scottsdale Arizona, where I will take a two week program to be trained on using several different skin lasers. This licensing will not only help me get into the medical aesthetic industry, but it will also set me apart from other medical aestheticians. I will then come back to Maryland in hopes to join a nursing program at a local community college. During this time I would work during the day and go to school at night. That way I can be fully integrated into the medical spa lifestyle. at this time I can say that I’ve learned to never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something I went from homeless and not having any support to living on my own again, which is a major accomplishment in this day and age. There are going to be rough times whether it’s while you’re looking for work or you’re looking for housing or looking for your next rental space for your business. It’s all about how you respond to the situation whether or not you take on the task with positive intention What you must do to implement that plan and the result that you receive from your plan. my initial goal was to simply become a licensed aesthetician, and I am now fully motivated to pursue my degree as a registered nurse to further integrate my services as a medical aesthetician in the state of Maryland. my long-term goals are to open my own med spa where I would service my clients exclusively in laser technology, and traditional skin care regimen. This is something that I’m extremely passionate about, and this scholarship would give me the ability to pay off my balance out-of-pocket fees to the Aveda Institute before I attempt private financing for my continued education course route. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission!

I am a victim of domestic violence as my son‘s father was abusive through my pregnancy with him, and I had no choice, but to move in with my mother who called CPS on me in the first eight weeks of my son’s life resulting in my being permanently removed from the home and no longer having access to my child. I attempted to build my family from what I thought was a very solid foundation, considering my education, and I think in attempting to build a familial relationship and having my son‘s father move into my apartment and destroy my property, and then move into his apartment and have him tell me that I was a whore, and that I should kill myself is just enough information for one to understand that there are things that we should not tolerate this type of disrespect is one of them. I am pursuing a licensing as aesthetician from Aveda Institute in Arlington, Virginia, where I will learn the anatomy of skin and the science of skin. This licensing will assist me to further my education as I’ve already planned to take a two week intensive course at the national laser Institute in Scottsdale Arizona upon graduation. This program will teach me about how to use all types of lasers on the skin. I will also work with Doctor and other medical professionals that might be able to assist in job placement once I’m done with the program. I plan to use my education to help other African-American women by creating my nonprofit organization that will ultimately give back to women in need when I was living at the homeless shelter that I lived in for three years I saw women of all demographics that had been displaced through Abusive spouses, mental health issues, insanity, and a lot of times it can be unsettling to see other women in that type of environment, but I knew that this was my calling when I began to go out of my way for the other women around me, whether it be by going to the grocery store or Dropping someone off to the doctors office. I knew that this was something that I would excel at. I knew that this was something that I would pursue as a real effort to give back to the community because I’m a survivor of domestic violence., there are many ways to offer services and I think that, but taking on this licensing, I will be able to offer similar services at no cost of course because it’s coming from the heart it’s coming from a place of care and compassion from one person to the next . Thank you for taking the time to read my submission!

My son inspires me to keep going every day I had him in 2020 and prior to his birth. I pursued a certification as a Doula through the DONA organization. I am pursuing a career in medical aesthetics at this time, because I have always wanted to join the medical aesthetics industry and I was coming out of the med spot and my injector actually suggested that I look into coursework and training because she thought I’d be an ideal candidate for her type of work. Medical aesthetics is extremely important to me at this time because as a single mom, I am identifying just how uneducated some women are in the science of skin. The science of skin is very important to me because the skin is the largest organ on our bodies and we cannot survive without it. Next month I will be attending the Aveda Institute where I will be a student in the aesthetics program where the educators will cover the science of the skin and all things skin care, including chemical, peels, facials, exfoliate, etcetera. Once I graduate, I will be pursuing a licensing as a laser technician from the national laser institute in Scottsdale Arizona, where I will partake in a two week intensive program that focuses solely on laser technology. The program that I intend to enroll in is $12,000 total, which I will have to find private financing. I have already applied for financing which I have been denied due to my low credit score has resulted in my attempting to find business financing to fund my education. The scholarship would be extremely helpful as I do have requirements that I must fulfill before I graduate from Aveda this winter. Though I have not received any leads on private financing for my continued education through the National Laser Institute I have already been invited to an information session at a local community college, where I will pursue my degree as a registered nurse and build my business Everyday Aesthetics LLC in hopes to gain the necessary licensure to manage and own my own medical spa in the state of Virginia where I will educate my clients on the importance of maintaining a healthy and balanced skin care regimen which will in turn make them feel more secure and confident about their choice to work with me as their skin care specialist. Thank you for taking the time to read my admission!

My goal is to join the cosmetic industry to further educate myself and others on the science of skin. Aesthetics is something that I’ve been passionate about for as long as I can remember. Many people have complemented my skin and have asked about my skin care regimen and it’s always a really interesting conversation for me to teach others what I know about the benefits of skin care. I came into the industry in 2010 when I had just graduated from high school, and I needed money my aunt offered me a position as a full-time makeup artist and I would assist her on set whether it be at a photo shoot or a private media event. Within the first four years of training with her I felt a disconnect due to my lack of education. She’d already been in the industry for 10 years and so she was more focused on her business than training me. This summer I will be attending the Aveda Institute where I will be pursuing a licensing as an aesthetician with an anticipated graduation date of December 2024 amongst graduating I will be pursuing a licensing from the national laser Institute in Scottsdale Arizona, where I will participate in a two week training program, which will allow me to learn about all types of lasers How to use them and how to promote their services. I am pursuing the laser technician licensing to gain the education that I need to further integrate myself into the skincare industry whether it be through cosmetology or aesthetics I’ll be trained in both, and will be able to use my licenses in tandem. This scholarship would be a tremendous help to me as I am a single mother with a major financial obligation to Aveda that I must fulfill before I graduate this December. I will also be pursuing private financing once I graduate in order to gain a spot for the next program. Private financing is very difficult to obtain unless you have a co-signer or someone that is willing to apply for you. I have already been turned down for private educational financing, so I have resorted to looking for start up business funding through my LLC, because I am 100% committed to finding financing for my business. I will pursue my licensing in aesthetics as an effort to educate others on the science of the skin and hopefully open my own med spa one day. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission!

In June 2020 I gave birth to my four year old son Haile and prior to his birth I was an assistant to a well known make up artist in the Washington, DC area. I have assisted at over 100 events including professional photo shoots and private media events. I have been interested in pursuing a career in aesthetics full time since 2020. Before Haile was born, I obtained a Doula certification through the DONA organization to comfort my expectations around the child birthing process. My educator Nicole was informative and provided us information on continued education options once our coursework was completed. Once my son was born and we made it through our first year, I realized that his birth motivated me to spearhead my vision to join the aesthetics industry. After conducting more research and meeting with other moms I realized how closely aesthetics aligns with Doula work and how important it is to maintain the quality of service. Once I was ready to complete my FASFA I knew that I wanted to be trained at Aveda Institute. Their esthetics program outlines a plethora of topics through a range of services that cover the anatomy of the skin. This is most important to me because I want the best education that I can receive in the skin care industry and the educators at Aveda will be able to provide instruction on how to pursue a career as a master esthetics. Once I complete the 600 hour requirement I plan to further my education by attending the National Laser Institute in Arizona, where I will take a two week course that covers a variety of laser services that I will be able to provide in the state of Virginia. This program will not only allow me to advance quickly within the medical aesthetic industry, but it will also allow me the ability to network with some of the top doctors and aestheticians in the country. This $10,000 scholarship would provide the down payment for my continued training at the National Laser Institute upon graduation from Aveda. If I win this scholarship it will allow me the confidence I need to pursue any additional licensing that I may need to open doors to the medical aesthetics industry. The financial obligation portion of education can be intimidating and this scholarship would allow me to put even more of energy into my goal of opening my own medical spa one day. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission!