Beauty Changes Lives Announces Passion and Purpose Scholarship Winners

Four Passion and Purpose scholarship winners stole the spotlight this weekend with their inspiring stories. Ratner Companies and Beauty Changes Lives awarded $3,125 in tuition to these aspiring stylists for their passion and commitment to leading a meaningful career. This is the first salon-branded scholarship to be added to Beauty Changes Lives’ portfolio. All applicants sent in videos to a panel of professional hairstylists and leading influencers in the industry, who chose the finalists. 

And the spring 2019 winners are: 

Briana Duran, a student at BJ’s Barber and Beauty College in Bayonne Lake, WA, also has experience as an occupational therapy assistant. In her video, she explained the importance of connecting emotionally with clients.

Noah Hagy from Tricoci University in Janesville, WI, used humor and positivity in his video to convey his story. He said he always struggled with beauty, and he wanted to be beautiful but didn’t know how. When “floral camo” didn’t work out for him in military school, he made the switch to cosmetology. 

Before studying at the San Francisco College for Esthetics and Cosmetology in Berkeley, CA, Acatiana Harris got her bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her video explains the role of beauty in self-esteem, self-expression and overall mental health.  

Kristel Thomas studies at Imagine Paul Mitchell in New Castle, OK. On top of that, she is an active volunteer in Yellow Ribbon, an organization that helps men and women transitioning out of the military. The three pieces of wisdom she shares in her video are “Find what works. Acknowledge it. Celebrate victory.”