ST. LOUIS, MO – Two enterprising sisters were awarded what may be the first step in their entrepreneurial future.
Kimeisha and Kyleaha Fuller-Oliver are the recipients of a scholarship to attend a cosmetology summer camp, courtesy of Dismas House, Affinia Healthcare, and The Ultimate Cosmetology and Barber Academy.
The scholarship is the result of a recent career fair Affinia Healthcare held for youth in foster care. The Fuller-Oliver sisters were adopted by their grandmother, Josephine, and received assistance from the Affinia Healthcare Community Health Workers-Foster Care group. According to Linda Moreland, Community Health Worker, many families in the foster care system need assistance with legal, medical, dental, and social services.
“The CHW group can help with the medical and dental services through Affinia Healthcare, but also connect families to other resources as well,” said Moreland.
Kimeisha and Kyleaha attended the career fair in March where several organizations participated including the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, YWCA and Dismas House. The sisters visited the Dismas House table where they shared their goal of becoming hair stylists with Tara Barrett, Dismas House Communications Director. Barrett remembered the duo when she received a call from Freida Williams about a cosmetology summer camp she was planning. Williams is co-founder of The Ultimate Cosmetology and Barber Academy.
“I immediately thought of them because they were so confident about what they wanted to do,” Barrett recalled during the scholarship presentation May 4 at the Affinia Healthcare Biddle Street location. “I told Freida ‘I know someone’.”
Dismas House specializes in reentry services but Barrett knew they should help these sisters. Barrett consulted with her team at Dismas House to see if they could assist the sisters and offered to pay for their tuition for the summer camp.
Kimeisha, who is an eighth grader at Parkway Central Middle School, plans to attend college to study business and open her own salon. She wants to help people ‘look good,’ including herself.
“I want to know how to do my own hair, and I can help my Mama pay her bills,” Kimeisha explained.
Kyleaha, a sophomore at Parkway Central High School, also wants to go to college and open her own salon.
“I want to help others look good, feel good, and it’s also fun and I’m really interested in learning more about [cosmetology],” Kyleaha said. “I want to learn more about skin care, nails and lashes.”
The summer camp will run for a week in June at the cosmetology school, which is located in Dellwood. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about barbering, cosmetology, nail care, and eyelashes.
“We want to help young people and this summer camp is a great way to introduce them to the profession,” said Williams of The Ultimate Cosmetology and Barber Academy.
