Livin' LOUD and LOVing it

With fellow LOUD recipients
Ryan, Taylor and Leah

Had you told me a year ago that I would be doing makeup full time, I would've probably given you a funny look and told you that I wanted to be a computer programmer or finish my Health degree. Fortunately, my absolute passion for creating characters got the better of me. Sometime last year, I threw out an email to a prestigious makeup school and got in, on two scholarships no less, about a week later. And would you know it, I'm now working for a prestige makeup line and am days away from graduating makeup school.

I have the Gay and Lesbian Business Association to thank for helping me achieve what has clearly been the most gratifying career change in my life (not that I've had that many career changes to begin with, but I have dabbled in many careers, mostly unpaid). With three other amazing queer youth, I was awarded a LOUD Scholarship in May 2011.

$2,000 is a mighty big deal. And makeup school is not cheap. I had been working minimum wage jobs prior to makeup school. After the student loans were approved and factored in, tuition costs pretty much sucked up all of my savings, plus an additional paycheck or so. Had LOUD not awarded me a scholarship, I really wouldn't have been able to go back to school when I did.

At the 2011 LOUD Awarding Ceremony

I haven't looked back. I'm in an industry I love. For an 11 month program, I can't believe how much time has passed and how much I've learned. It's intense, creative, grueling, and I love every minute of it!

GLBA and LOUD Board member Ryan gets Maul-ed over for makeup final projects

The magic of LOUD didn't end with just the scholarship. The LOUD family continues to surprise me with amazing connections and opportunities that I would not have access to otherwise. I'm currently working with some amazing students from the Art Institute on a Star Wars-inspired project (incidentally, one of them also won this year's "Best in Show" Shout out to ya girl!). I was also included with some fellow LOUD recipients in the Spring 2012 edition of LOV Magazine.

The LOUD Scholarship applications open at the end of every year, and I highly encourage all driven queer youth in Vancouver to apply! The LOUD foundation changed my life. They didn't just promise that things would get better. They actually made things better.