I graduated from Spa Tech Institute this past April. It was an amazing opportunity, and I am so grateful to have received help from MVYouth, to attend. After graduation, I went on to work on the island. I spent my summer, and fall (up until January), working as an esthetician. I love and enjoy every second I get to spend doing something I love and want to grow as a career. Recently, I have started college. I am currently attending Curry College. After spending some time gaining experience as an esthetician, and slowly building up my clientele, I decided to continue my education. I decided this because I felt like it was the right time, and for my future career. I am majoring in Public Relations. My goal after school is to work in Beauty PR. I am hoping to make connections with skincare, and makeup brands. I want to continue to work as an esthetician, alongside this. I will be continuing my esthetics career during the summers on MV. Hopefully one day (later on), I will own a spa. The transition back into school has been less stressful than I anticipated. I have met great people, fantastic professors, and readjusted to off-island living once again. I have been taking more GEN ED courses this semester (as it is my first). I only started college a week ago, so there is not much else I can say about my classes yet. So Far, so good! I am super grateful (even almost a year after graduating from Esthetics school), for the help and opportunity MVYouth and all the donors provided me. I am so excited to see what the future holds for me, and my career. Also, to see where I go in these next few years in college!

My first few months at esthetics school have been an amazing experience. It has taught me more than just about esthetics. My class at esthetics school wasn’t what I was expecting. My class alone has more adult students, than ones my age. This was a bit nerve-racking my first day, when we all introduced ourselves and everyone said their age. Many of my fellow classmates are married and with children, and then there’s me, an eighteen year old who barely knows how to drive on the highway. But really, I had nothing to fear the first day, as I’m so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing women that I have really begun to look up to, not only in esthetics but in life. I have really enjoyed studying what I have such a big passion for. It has made me very grateful for the times in high school, where I actually paid attention in biology and chemistry class. But, for every student, no matter where you are, there are challenges. As my school’s attendance goes by hours instead of days, it has been challenging and stressful, (especially if I get sick and have to make-up a class). It’s challenging because every second you miss (in a class), you have to make up in order to graduate. For my program, I need 600 hours of class. Thankfully though, my school is very helpful for making up days. I can’t really complain about stress though, when I’m sitting almost every day getting a facial, or some other kind of service. I love being able to practice with real people. It especially makes it fun being able to work on your friends, and even some days we get to work with real clients. It really helps to prepare you. At first it was very scary working with a real client but now it’s really fun. It’s like playing “Spa” as a kid with your friends again. I’m really looking forward to these next few months as I am starting to finish up at esthetics school. This opportunity would not have been possible without MVYouth. I am so grateful for their support and helping me be able to do what I have a passion for. I’m looking forward to my future, and I’m excited to see what’s next!