When I was younger I loved playing with dolls. Me and my two sisters would always dress them up and play with their hair. All of our dolls had straight hair, and I loved that. Doing the doll’s hair was so easy, and I felt like straight hair was superior. I hated my short, black, kinky hair. My mom always worked so well with it though, doing cute styles with barrettes at the end of my curls. But when it came to doing my own hair, it was absolute hell. My ponytails were puffy, my arms ached from the strength needed to style it, and I felt ugly when I’d look in the mirror, wanting to scream and cry and pull out every living strand. Eventually, I was introduced to the internet, where I sought answers to help me learn how to manage my hair.

In middle school, I learned how to do many styles, and since then my mom has left the comb in my hands. No one could tell me what I can and can’t do, and that had to be my favorite part. The ending result when I achieved a style on my hair that I thought was impossible was absolutely relieving, and the compliments I'd received from my peers made me feel beautiful. I loved watching videos of people getting their hair done and the confidence it gave them.  Since then, doing hair has been my absolute favorite thing to do, and I want to display this talent to other young black girls who feel insecure about their hair. My dream is to be a hairstylist.

Honestly, I was unsure about this dream because I feared that I wouldn’t profit much from it. I thought about doing some other profession, like a doctor or nurse. “That would make me tons of money,” I thought. But I then realized that the money would be my only drive. I don’t like hospitals, shots, blood, or the sad atmosphere that surrounds it. I don’t like the limits on appearance when it comes to being a doctor. I like dressing up, piercings, tattoos, and funky hair colors. I like engaging and sharing this interest with others. I know my heart belongs in the beauty industry, and I’m already taking steps toward it with my upcoming hair business. Although I like to think logically, I think in a case like this I'd rather follow my heart than my head, for I want to be happy with what I do.

I plan on enrolling in cosmetology school, but I definitely want to attend a University as well. I attended a college fair recently, and I asked peers what major would be the best for the path I plan to go on, and they recommended that I major in business marketing and business management. This major will help me learn how to run my own business how to connect with my clients and how to get good connections with other hair stylists. My goal is to do the hair of a celebrity, so these majors will definitely be needed.

In order to achieve this dream, I'm going to need tons of practice. I want to connect with other hairstylists who are my age so I can see what path they are headed on, and I want to also connect with older hairstylists, so they can pass some of their wisdom to me. I'm going to take hands-on training classes with a great hairstylist so I can get some expert-critics on my talent, and how I can improve my skill.

I feel like I have some great skills and qualities for this profession, given that I already have so much personal experience when it comes to hair. Hair is definitely a top priority for me. Getting my hair done makes me confident, and I want to share that feeling with other young girls by putting my hands in their heads. Nothing is stopping me from achieving this dream.