Modern Salon
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

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 ...

Anne Moratto
Anne MorattoDirector of Brand Content Strategy, MODERN SALON and NAILS
Read Anne's Posts
September 14, 2015
Inaugural BCL | Leo Passage Postgraduate Scholarships Awarded to 25 Beauty Educators

 

3 min to read


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.

Ad Loading...

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:

Ad Loading...
Ad Loading...

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

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

http://beautychangeslives.org/



Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Career

Ad Loading...
Michelle Bowden works on a hair piece on a mannequin
Career|Articles|Apr 15, 2026

How Michelle Bowden Had a Breakout Year (and How Other Stylists Can, Too)

From working backstage at multiple Paris Fashion Week shows to collaborating on four creative collections and expanding her international stage work, Michelle Bowden has had an incredible year of growth. Here, we break down her approach that drove her momentum, offering a framework for stylists looking to elevate their own careers.

Ad Loading...
Career|Articles|Jan 9, 2026

Beautiful Careers Happen Here

Ulta Beauty is always innovating to meet professionals where they are. Amazing transformations happened at The Salon at Ulta Beauty in 2025, and Ulta Beauty artistry and education will be everywhere you want to go in the year ahead. Come see all The Salon at Ulta Beauty has planned for you in 2026!

Sponsored by Ulta Beauty

Ad Loading...