<div>Yazzi is a queer cosmetology student, artist, and caregiver based in Bakersfield, California. They are passionate about bold, creative, and alternative beauty and dream of building an inclusive career helping people feel confident, safe, and seen in their own skin.
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<div>Today, they are asking for community support not because they haven’t been trying, but because they’ve been trying for so long. We are raising funds to help cover Yazzi’s essential expenses, including rent, food, communication, and transportation, so they can finish cosmetology school and finally reach the future they’ve been fighting for.
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<div>Yazzi began cosmetology school in 2024, and was originally supposed to graduate in 2026. But life had other plans. Over the last two years, they have endured challenge after challenge, each one forcing them to temporarily put their dreams on hold in order to protect and care for the people they love.
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<div>Their first leave of absence happened when their family was on the verge of losing their home. They spent days frantically packing and preparing to move before their brother was able to secure a job and their family reached an agreement with the mortgage company. Their second leave of absence happened when their mother experienced multiple severe health diagnoses all at once, including high blood pressure, diabetes, schizophrenia, dementia, and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Yazzi stepped into a temporary caregiving role and put school aside to help care for her. Their third leave of absence happened when their brother lost his job and their family once again faced housing instability. Shortly afterward, the family car was repossessed and their family home went into foreclosure, despite Yazzi’s efforts to take on additional beauty clients and contribute financially to prevent it from happening. Now, they have exhausted all three leaves of absence allowed by their school. There are no more extensions. If Yazzi cannot consistently get to school, they risk being dropped from the program entirely.
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<div>That possibility is especially devastating because this is actually their second attempt at cosmetology school. In 2019, they enrolled for the first time, but Yazzi contracted Valley Fever. After being sick for an extended period, they were forced to leave the program. In 2024, they found the courage to try again. Since then, they have fought every single day to finish.
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<div>Right now, life feels like a constant balancing act between survival and pursuing a dream. Most days Yazzi attends evening classes while taking on beauty clients whenever possible just to cover basic necessities and survive week to week. Many nights, they are awake until 4:00 AM doing hair, trying to earn enough money, coordinate transportation, solve problems, and figure out how to keep everything from falling apart. On top of that, they are currently displaced from stable housing and temporarily staying with a friend while contributing to rent there.
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<div>Reliable transportation has become the single biggest obstacle standing between Yazzi and graduation. After the family car was repossessed, a roommate stepped in to help provide rides to school. But now, even that support is uncertain because the roommate’s car needs brake repairs. Outside of that, Yazzi relies on friends who can occasionally help when they are available.
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<div>Even accessing resources has become difficult. They currently do not have food assistance because they have been unable to renew their benefits without reliable transportation to complete the process.
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<div>Despite all of this, Yazzi keeps showing up. They continue taking clients, attending school, caring for their family, and believing that a better future is possible.
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<div>Receiving support right now would allow Yazzi to stop living in constant survival mode and focus on crossing the finish line they have worked so hard to reach.
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<div>More than anything, Yazzi wants to become a licensed cosmetologist and finally have enough financial stability to support both themselves and the people who have supported them. They dream of being able to afford simple necessities without worrying: food, shampoo, deodorant, tampons, socks, and other everyday essentials. They dream of having a safe space of their own where they don’t have to worry about their cosmetology tools and supplies being damaged or lost. And they dream of becoming the person who can give back instead of always needing help. They want to tell their roommates, “I’ve got gas money.” They want to tell their family, “I can help pay for your medications.” They want to say, “Dinner is on me tonight.”
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<div>Giving back has always been important to Yazzi. In the past, they have provided free haircuts for unhoused community members and veterans. They offer house calls for busy parents who can’t afford childcare just to visit a salon. They love bringing salon services to older adults who have mobility challenges so they can continue receiving care from the comfort of their homes. One day, they hope to host free transformation days where they can gift someone a bold haircut or color transformation simply because everyone deserves to feel beautiful.
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<div>Their commitment to this work comes from lived experience. Growing up, Yazzi was bullied for being poor and malnourished. People made assumptions about their appearance without realizing they simply didn’t have reliable access to food. They were also bullied for their thick, curly hair because they didn’t have access to the products or education needed to care for it. Those experiences shaped them. They know what it feels like to go without. That is why they are so passionate about helping people see themselves differently.
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<div>Hair is never just hair. It’s confidence, identity, safety, and joy.
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<div>Yazzi dreams of creating a salon space where everyone feels seen, heard, accepted, and safe. They want to help people walk through the world looking the way they want to look so they can live the life they want to live. They specialize in vivid colors, color corrections, alternative styles, and curly hair care, but their goal is much bigger than that. They want to become the kind of stylist who can confidently care for anyone who sits in their chair, regardless of their hair type, background, or identity. They want every client to leave feeling worthy of self-expression, care, and belonging.
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<div>This is their passion. This is the first thing they have truly chosen for themselves after years of prioritizing everyone else. They have poured their entire heart into this dream.
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<div>After everything they have overcome, losing this opportunity because they can’t get to school would be heartbreaking. Yazzi is doing everything they can. Now, they simply need their community to help them cross the finish line.
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<div>If you are able to donate, share this campaign, or spread the word, every act of support matters.
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<div>Thank you for helping Yazzi build a future that will allow them to continue creating beauty, restoring confidence, and giving back to others for years to come.
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Daniel Perez

Annette Reyes

Maria Castillejo

Nicole Ellison

Maxx Dunn

Sara Cooper

Samantha Folks

Mei Mei Chan

Anonymous

Help Yazzi Finish Cosmetology School and Thrive

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Help Yazzi Finish Cosmetology School and Thrive

Still $1,615 to go. Help us build momentum.