There’s nothing we love more than connecting with our students and hearing their stories. Recently, we had the chance to speak to Rayna, who recently won the Beauty Changes Lives Scholarship! If you see a future in beauty, then check out Rayna’s story and see for yourself if beauty school is the right path for you!

Meet Rayna

Rayna has always had a passion for the beauty industry, more specifically cosmetology. As a kid, she always dreamed of pursuing a career in beauty but put it off because of some discouraging voices in her life. However, in 2018 she went on a mission trip and met a cosmetologist on her team, changing her views altogether. She realized that cosmetology could be a ministry, which made her want to pursue cosmetology and become licensed.

In June of 2021, she decided that she was going to pursue her passion and enroll in beauty school! Since starting her beauty education with us, she has felt a lot of growth. While she has a lot of natural talent, she has built on it with the help of our instructors. Since starting her journey, her passion for beauty has grown and she feels that she has finally found her calling.

“This is it. This is what I’m supposed to be doing, this is where I’m supposed to be, and I absolutely love it.”

The Beauty Changes Lives Scholarship

Since 2013, The Beauty Changes Lives Foundation has awarded over 3.1 million and over 600 Scholarships to deserving beauty students. They’re a driven nonprofit that wants to make beauty professions a first-choice career.

“We empower the next generation of beauty professionals through scholarships, mentorship, and advanced education. Working together, we’re building more confidence in our industry, our clients, and our communities. – Beauty Changes Lives Foundation”

During her orientation, Rayna asked if there were any scholarship opportunities. We gave her a pamphlet of options and walked her through them. Determined to get started, Rayna started applying! In total, Rayna applied for four scholarships and after hearing she had won the Beauty Changes Lives scholarship, she was ecstatic!

“I actually applied to four of them [scholarships], hoping I would get just one of them. Why not me? Why not be the one to get one? When I heard back that I had gotten one, I could not believe it.”

We were thrilled to hear that Rayna had received the Beauty Changes Lives scholarship and feel that it is well deserved. Rayna is extremely talented, and we are excited to see her continued growth!

Why Beauty School?

From the time Rayna was little, she has always loved helping people. She has especially loved helping other girls feel more beautiful. As a teenager, when it came to the homecomings and proms, Rayna was the one to go to for hair. She was always helping her friends with fun hairstyles that made them feel as good as they looked!

After years of doing hair, she realized that she had a natural talent and that is where her passion began. Building off that natural passion, she realized that she could do cosmetology as a career and a ministry. This is what started her beauty journey.

Why Did You Choose Broken Arrow Beauty College?

When it came to choosing a beauty school, Rayna was looking for somewhere that would help her pursue her passion for hair. She looked at multiple different schools in her area and found that Broken Arrow Beauty College offered the most physical material and educational resources she could use.

“Their lack of hesitation and the confidence they have in the system they’ve got going here [Broken Arrow Beauty College] was very attractive to me.”

Like most of our students, Rayna learns best with hands-on learning, so a big factor in choosing us was seeing that she’ll be able to receive one on one help from educators and additional help from student groups. These were the factors that really helped her decide that we were the school for her.

What She’s Looking Forward to Learning Most

When asking Rayna what she was most excited to learn about during her time with us, her answer was simple: “Learning all there is.” One of the most exciting things about the beauty industry is that there is always something to learn.

“I didn’t realize how big the beauty industry was and the different variety of things you can do with it until coming to school and that was what got me even more excited.”

Because Rayna is such a self-motivated person, the beauty industry is the perfect place for her. She wants to make the most of her time here with us and learn everything she can, so when she’s out in a professional setting, there won’t be anything stopping her!

What Are Your Plans After Beauty School?

After graduation, Rayna hopes to do outreaches and mission trips as well as have her own home-based salon. She hopes to serve her community as a whole and create a place where everyone is welcome.

Rayna herself grew up in a very small town and one of her favorite parts of her childhood was to go to the beauty salon and see her community there. She loved seeing everyone come together and have such a good time, that’s why she wants to create an environment where people of all diversities can come in and get a high-quality beauty service.

Advice for Future Students

Rayna’s biggest piece of advice for anyone wanting to go to beauty school is to just do it, no matter how intimidating it may seem. For Rayna, her passion is hair, and going to beauty school has been a dream of hers. Even though she had some discouraging voices telling her otherwise, she still made the decision to pursue her own goals.

“Dream Big and just START”

When she first started, she wasn’t sure if she would do well in this industry, but as she went on and started practicing more she realized that she can do this. Everything is what you make of it and the opportunities are endless in the beauty industry.

Are You Ready to Start Your Own Journey?

If, like Rayna, you are passionate about beauty, then consider scheduling a tour at Broken Arrow Beauty College! We’d love to help you achieve your goals in hair, skincare, makeup, and more! Come on in and meet our instructors, explore our programs, and learn how to get started!