Help Ashante pay for her dream school
HELP ME PURSUE MY PASSION AND GO TO MY DREAM SCHOOL!
When I was in just the sixth grade, I remember being so fascinated by the way my mom did her makeup and strived to learn from her, for she has always been an inspiration to me. All I wanted was to mimic her eyeliner and the way she used colors so freely, so the moment she got me my first bit of makeup (and when I starting sneaking in her room to use hers), I dove in head first and have been doing it ever since.
Throughout middle school I messed around with bright colors, displaying the entire rainbow on just one lid. I would try to pull off what I thought was just so cool at the time with those sticky “eyeshadow” palettes you’d find at Claire’s for $8.99. The more I started to educate myself, the more I wanted to work and make money so I could explore new brands and products to hopefully hone in my wannabe skills and passion. I got my first job at fifteen and have been working ever since, for multiple reasons of course but a big one was always to be able to expand my knowledge in all sort of art, makeup in particular.
Once I was in high school, I think I was truly able to start understanding my skills and realize how unbelievably passionate I was about makeup as an art form. I would wake up at 4:30am so that I could do a full face, including strong eyebrows and massively long lashes that would skim the lenses of my glasses. I would help other students with their makeup during dance recitals, Halloween and the occasionally theatre performance. The more time I took to display my passion, the more opportunities I had to try new things on not only myself but my friends around me.
Self expression has always been something extremely valuable in my life and I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where it was not only welcomed, but celebrated. Makeup was a large form of self expression for me, whether it was soft nude eye on days I felt exhausted or drained or a sharp long Black winged liner on days when I felt bold and strong. It was a way for me to show people who I am and who I believe myself to be.
As of the last year or so, I have fully submerged myself into the art of makeup and let down any walls of doubt or fear I had left. I have allowed myself to fully be the person I always strived to be with my makeup.
Recently a massive opportunity found its way onto my path and I haven’t been able to (nor wanted to) change my focus from it ever since. My dream makeup school was suddenly in reaching distance from me but money has been holding me back from grabbing onto it. I have done all the steps I can to make it possible for myself but am still falling quite short. As stated before, I have been working since a young age, I have been paying my own bills and taking care of myself for years now but still do not have the income, savings or ability to pay my way through my dream school. I was offered a loan through FAFSA that helps to an extent but still keeps things out of reach. It’s often hard for me ask for help but with the passion I have for this art form, it’s hard for me to turn away. I don’t want to turn away, I can’t turn away. I have been in contact with the school very frequently to try and find a way to make things work and get me there. Myself and the school have done what we can up to this point, I just need a little help to get to the finish line. If you or anyone you know is able to donate anything at all, whether it be $2 or $50 to help me reach my goals and accomplish my dreams, it would be more than appreciated and would mean the absolute world to me. 
