One of the biggest blessings of being part of Beauty Revived is the Beauty Revived Senior Style Guide Scholarship.
I love what this scholarship represents: the senior photography community coming together to lift some deserving seniors. It represents the goodness of our industry and I am blessed to be a small part of it.
A big thank you to all of the speakers at Push Conference who went above and beyond to donate their time and their products to raise money for the 3- $2,500 scholarships. If you want to follow some of the greatest photographers in the industry, please go follow these generous teachers: Amanda Holloway, Christian Ramirez, Stephanie Newbold, Jen Bertrand, Brooke Daniels, Latasha Haynes, Craig Stidham, Jim Meyer, Dan Brouillette.
Thank you to the Beauty Revived board for their help in choosing the winners. It wasn’t easy!
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And the winners are….
Winner #1 Rachel Burns
My middle name is Grace. A name given to me by my mother with hopes I would instill the trait’s true meaning throughout my life. By the time I would turn eighteen I would have faced three life altering challenges: domestic violence, a life debilitating illness, and my father’s passing. While displaying grace throughout these experiences I have turned grief into a passion for improvement which has greatly benefited myself and others.
My youth could have, should have most likely, given the circumstances, driven me to self destruction. However, instead of allowing such pain to find a foothold in my life, I decided to be my own advocate, so I founded and became the president of a high school club called Love Is Not Abuse. It was created in efforts to educate young people on the warning signs of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). We offer resources for victims, and volunteer at the local women’s shelter. Last year, Love Is Not Abuse raised over $1000 so that we could fly in IPV survivor Summer Jessee. After planning and designating a classroom designed for no more than 100 people, we were surprised to learn that we eventually crammed in well over 200 students and staff who wanted to come listen, and learn from our speaker. We all gained valuable information and facts about the growing epidemic of IPV. We were overwhelmed by the response received through compliments and testimonials from students, staff, and members of the community with gratitude for the club and the opportunity to learn about a topic that is so often dubbed as taboo. My hope and dream is that I can continue to do my part to end the cycle of IPV and make an impact on the world through those I reach.
Winner #2: Morgan Patterson
As the owner of a non-profit company for 13 years, I have exhibited the meaning of true beauty to my community through this annual service project.
Sitting in the car at the age of four and hearing about the tragic lives of families around the world, but especially those that live in the same community, was absolutely heartbreaking. I heard a radio talk show host go on about the Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner and was immediately compelled to ask my mom a million questions that any young child would have asked. I started by asking if we would be able to attend this dinner which led into my mom explaining to me that this dinner was for those who weren’t able to make their own dinner. I went on with more and more questions until my heart found one that has been a large part in my life ever since; I asked how I could help these families in need.
A couple weeks and ideas down the road, I, along with my family’s help, had created an assortment of crafts and baked goods to sell to my closest friends and family. The few decorated ornaments, crazy earrings, and sugar cookies allowed me to make around $134. With the cash in hand, I headed to the grocery store with my mom and a little plastic grocery cart. Quickly, I filled it to the top with various canned food items and baby clothes. That Christmas, I donated these items to the Salvation Army. The indescribable feeling I reached from being able to help my community, even at that young age, inspired me to repeat this project annually. Each year, I have strived for a new goal and attempted to reach out to a wider crowd of people who would be willing to help. I have created a diverse amount of products from necklaces to placemats to puppy chow. The total amount I raised each year rose enabling me to help more families that were less fortunate in my community. I raised enough one year to not only help Salvation Army, but to also support my church’s most current mission trip and our local animal shelter to help prevent the death of innocent animals.
Entering high school and playing multiple sports has created a barrier that has restrained from putting as much time into my annual project, but by designing three different shirts all with bible verses or motivational quotes, I was able to raise over 3,000 dollars to put towards helping various families in our community, including one who lost everything in a tragic house fire. I aspire to continue this project every year even as I move onto college. One day, I would like to make “Morgan’s Caring Company,” the name my five year old self came up with, a true non profit organization to help families all around the world in need and to help young children have the chance to start or continue their education.
Creating this project has given me the chance to meet and interact with amazing people who have inspired me to continue and spread my project. My goal is always to encourage others and to show the people around me that it doesn’t matter how old you are; everyone can have a positive impact on the world. Two girls a little bit younger than me have been inspired by my project and created a similar project where they bought back to school supplies for children. Not only do I strive to push others to help the less fortunate, but I want to show them how far God’s love can go, which is why all of my shirts have a bible verse or Christian quote somewhere on them. At the end of the day, that is the true definition of success; spreading God’s word to anyone that sees my products or hears about my project.
Overall, I believe this opportunity to help others has developed me into a young leader who has found the true meaning of beauty. I think that I am the most qualified for this award because of how I have been demonstrating compassion towards others for almost my entire life through my project.
Winner #3 Kari Joy Thomas
What makes you the most qualified candidate for Beauty Revived’s scholarship?
First and foremost, I have big plans to impact my world in a positive way and I feel I am a good representation of what Beauty Revived is about; redefining and expanding one’s definition of what beauty is. I plan to be a part of changing that definition through my actions. I have passion and drive to succeed and bless others in the process.
Attending college has been in my plan since day one. For my 3rd birthday I asked for office supplies and throughout elementary school I requested extra homework, because I wanted to learn more. Expanding my knowledge has been a lifelong passion of mine. I yearn to discover and to experience life to the fullest. College provides bountiful opportunities to learn, grow, discover, experience, and improve.
College is more than just a place to earn a degree. It is a place to make a change. A place to create memories. A place to question everything around you. A place to meet new people. A place to make connections. A place to get involved. A place to leave a mark. This scholarship will aid in getting me to this place. A place where I can discover who I am. A place where I can learn about everything that sparks my interest. The opportunity to experience what college can offer is amazing, and I am committed to making the most of it.
I teach gymnastics to neurologically impaired children to improve motor skills and development. Due to my recent work with neurologically disabled children, I have become interested in the brain. This spark in interest led me to choose Neuroscience & Cognitive Science as my major. More specifically, I am interested in the brain of nonverbal children with neurological impairments. These children deserve the chance to communicate their wants and needs and I want to aid in providing them with that ability.
Unfortunately, college is a large expense and can be quite difficult to pay for. In the past, I have never let money stop me from learning and experiencing the wonders of our world. I have participated in fundraisers, such as creating meals and serving them to families, sought out financial assistance or ways to get to where I needed to be. I don’t plan on quitting now. This is one of the reasons why I think I am a optimal candidate for this Beauty Revived Scholarship. I would like to make a promise. I promise that I will be 100% committed to growing and learning everyday. I promise to focus, to be an active participant in my university community, to actively participate in every class, and to seek after every opportunity. I promise I will try. I will be committed, dedicated, and I will engross myself in all of my classes. I promise that if I receive this scholarship I will work for and earn every cent I receive. I think something unique about my candidacy is that I promise to devote the next four years not only to my education but also to bettering myself as a person and as a member of the community.
I will make a positive impact in this world, even if that change impacts only one child or the entire world. I believe that college gives me the opportunities and access to education to help me make my mark. This scholarship will help lessen the financial burden of college and make it more accessible. With the support and knowledge college will provide, I can change the world.
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