My April 27 blog alerted you to a contest you could enter to win a $250 “Education Rocks” scholarship toward beauty school or continuing hair education like modernsalonlearning.com courses, offered by tirelessly dedicated salon professional, author and motivator Kathy Jager. On June 1, Kathy chose a winner: Carmelita Marsh, who will attend Regency Beauty Institute in Durham, NC.

Carmelita was just out of high school when she completed cosmetology school the first time. With no mentor or direction, she never even tried passing the board exam. But ever since the first of her four children was born 18 years ago, a regretful Carmelita has wanted to return to beauty school. With her children as her biggest cheerleaders, she finally found a wonderful mentor at Regency and did enroll there, but money is an issue. The scholarship, Carmelita wrote, would get her closer to “my dream deferred, but not lost.” She vowed to get her license and “help others to look and feel great about themselves, something I never received. I want to be able to provide for my children a lot better than working paycheck to paycheck.”

Kathy Jager says Carmelita’s plea won her heart. “I found beauty in the way that she wanted to keep her dream alive even after being discouraged,” Kathy told me. She admired Carmelita’s “courage and determination to desire a better lifestyle” companioned with a passion to serve other people. Kathy asks, “Isn’t that the true essence of our business?” Click here to read more.

Photo: Kathy Jager.