Inaugural BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarships Awarded to 25 Beauty Educators

The Beauty Changes Lives Foundation and the Leo Passage Endowment Fund are honoring 25 beauty educators from across the U.S. with the BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarship. Each scholarship winner receives up to $2,000 to attend the Pivot Point Creative Jam Chicago, November 15-16, 2015.

The scholarship winners represent the first class of the BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarship recipients. First announced at Cosmoprof 2014, the Leo Passage Endowment Fund is funded through a generous $1 million grant by the Passage family. The postgraduate scholarships are administered by the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation and this year will celebrate what happens when art, design and technology collide in the classroom.

The 2015 BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarship winners and their respective schools are as follows:

Winner Name	School Name	City, State
Samantha Beall	Bellus Academy	Manhattan, Kansas
Donia Booth	Virginia College	Huntsville, Alabama
Larissa Chaney	Ogle School of Hair, Skin and Nails	Fort Worth, Texas
Tamara Connolly-Stephens	The Salon Professional Academy	The Villages, Florida
Inge Dietz	Marinello Schools of Beauty	Las Vegas, Nevada
Kathy Jager	John Amico School of Hair Design	Oak Forest, Illinois
Donna Johnson	Phagans’ Cosmetology Colleges	Newport, Oregon
Shanda Kerr	Ogle School of Hair, Skin and Nails	Fort Worth, Texas
April Lemoine	Ogle School of Hair, Skin and Nails	Fort Worth, Texas
Teri McLemore	Alabama School of Nail Technology and Cosmetology	Jackson, Alabama
Theresa Miulli	Sunstate Academy	Fort Myers, Florida
Laura Neville	Phagans’ Cosmetology Colleges	Bend, Oregon
Diana Norris	Virginia College	Chattanooga, Tennessee
Brittany Novak	Bellus Academy	National City, California

Winner Name	School Name	City, State
Victoria O’Brien	The Salon Professional Academy	Nashville, Tennessee
Latera Olasewere	Bellus Academy	National City, California
Noelle Owings	Virginia College	Richmond, Virginia
Debbie Patrick	Phagans’ Central Oregon Beauty College	Bend, Oregon
Khris Pool	Bellus Academy	El Cajon, California
Pamela Reed	Paul Mitchell the School – Jacksonville	Jacksonville, Florida
Michael Stewart	Bellus Academy	Poway, California
Tammy Thompson	Ogle School of Hair, Skin and Nails	Fort Worth, Texas
Karla Melina Uribe	Bellus Academy	National City, California
Tiffany Whorton	Bellus Academy	Poway, California
Crystal Williams	Gene Juarez Academy	Seattle, Washington

 

Beauty Changes Lives and Pivot Point introduced the BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarship during the Legacy Award dinner and celebration at America’s Beauty Show 2015. The 2015 Legacy Award honored Leo Passage, founder of Pivot Point International, Inc. for the contributions he made to beauty education and cultivating NEXTGEN talent. 

“My father was a lifelong learner and had a passion to help others achieve their artistic and professional potential through ongoing education and discovery,” said Pivot Point Chairman and CEO Robert Passage. Winners of the scholarship reflect a shared commitment to lifelong learning, with the most experienced winner, Donna Johnson, graduating beauty school in 1970 and other recipients graduating in the 1980s, 1990s and through 2012.

Beauty Changes Lives Foundation President Lynelle Lynch said the addition of a postgraduate scholarship fills an important space in the Foundation’s scholarship portfolio. “The BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarship provides an opportunity to support the educators who are teaching and inspiring the next generation of beauty and wellness professionals,” Lynch said.

Applicants were invited to apply for a scholarship through a video application or a personal essay. A panel of industry judges including iconic hairstylists selected the winners. Applicants’ creative skill sets and collaborative spirits shone through in their video applications. The following are links to 2015 winners’ videos:

Brittany Novak, https://youtu.be/LPM6lZv3V3Y

Victoria O’Brien, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppkG1cXHsUg&feature=youtube_gdata

Debbie Patrick, https://youtu.be/2wj2sqfsR2M

Karlina Melina Uribe, https://youtu.be/wwDC9WGdaXw

Michael Stewart, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiNnrlAvRpA

Latera Olasewere, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC-5Ltc2NYY&feature=youtu.be

Crystal Williams, http://youtu.be/7IVZrb3nH64

http://beautychangeslives.org/