Racheal Cooper, scholarship winner
The Beauty Changes Lives foundation is accepting applications until October 11 for the Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program. Honoring the late Vidal Sassoon and his legacy as an entrepreneur and artist, the Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program funds 50 percent of tuition at qualified cosmetology schools, which can be found at http://beautycareerlink.beautyschools.org/; and for licensed professionals, the scholarship covers the cost of a five-day course at any North America-based Sassoon Academy, plus travel expenses (up to a total of $5,000, including course fee).
The Beauty Changes Lives foundation and Wella established the program to help both aspiring and established beauty professionals achieve their career goals through education. Scholarships are awarded to individuals who embody Vidal Sassoon’s heritage of creativity, craftsmanship, professional drive and love of learning. The Fall 2013 class of Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education recipients will be announced in November. Individuals may apply via an online application between August 5 and October 11 at www.beautychangeslives.org/scholarships or www.hairdressersatheart.com/ under "scholarships." Each submission should demonstrate the applicant’s commitment to Vidal Sassoon’s legacy of creativity and discipline, and express how they plan to honor his philosophy through professional achievement.
This past spring, more than 800 individuals applied for the first-ever round of basic and advanced scholarships. “I’ve always dreamed of being a hairstylist, and this scholarship is turning my dream into a reality,” said Racheal Cooper, a basic scholarship winner. “I’m close to finishing cosmetology school but winning has already changed my life for the better. There is so much information available through Hairdressers at Heart and Beauty Changes Lives, it has really opened my mind to so many possibilities and levels of creativity in this industry.”
Joy LaMay, scholarship winner
Advanced scholarship winner Joy LaMay noted in her application that beauty school was only the beginning of an amazing career. “I really found my art as a hairstylist,” LaMay said. “When I’m behind the chair, I’m using my energy and expression in a way that changes how people feel about their appearance, and that can change lives.” LaMay also said encouragement was the biggest gift she received through the experience and has been a huge motivator for elevating her career. Interviews with LaMay and other winners are at https://vimeo.com/71132771.
The $1.5 million scholarship fund, provided by Wella, the salon professional division of P&G, will serve 200 students and professionals from 2013 through 2017. The Beauty Changes Lives foundation is a nonprofit arm of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools and serves as the administering body and coordination liaison for the scholarship program.