If you had asked me a few years ago where I saw my life going, cosmetology would have never crossed my mind.

Back in 2020, I was working in the hospital when COVID-19 changed everything. At the same time, I found out I was pregnant with my first son. Like so many healthcare workers, I continued showing up every day, working long hours in N95 masks, double masking, and wearing extensive PPE while carrying my baby. Physically and emotionally, it was one of the hardest seasons of my life.

A couple of years later, I became pregnant with my second son. By then, I had advanced my healthcare career and was working as a Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician in nephrology. I loved caring for my patients, but the emotional weight of healthcare had become overwhelming. Every day I poured more of myself into others until I barely recognized the person looking back at me. I was exhausted, emotionally depleted, and becoming a hollow version of the woman God created me to be.

I made the difficult decision to leave healthcare and become a stay-at-home mom, believing it was what my family needed. While I treasured every moment with my boys, I quickly realized that complete isolation wasn’t healthy for me. My mental health continued to decline as I struggled through postpartum anxiety.

Wanting to find purpose again, I began babysitting children in my home. I fell in love with nurturing and teaching little ones, so much so that I decided to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. I accepted a position at one of our local elementary schools, excited for a fresh start.

Unfortunately, my anxiety had reached an all-time high. As I tried to navigate postpartum while carrying the weight of everything I had been through, I found myself unable to continue. I had to step away once again.

I found myself searching for anything that would quiet the constant noise in my mind. I was hurting, lost, and desperately looking for peace. It was one of the darkest seasons of my life.

Through it all, my husband never gave up on me. Even when our marriage was under tremendous strain and he was working out of town, missing precious moments with our boys, he continued believing in me when I struggled to believe in myself.

Around that time, I had started attending a local church. My relationship with God was growing, even though I still had so many questions.

Then one night, everything changed.

I was lying in bed praying, asking God to show me what I was supposed to do with my life. I wasn’t asking for wealth or success—I was simply asking for direction.

What happened next is something I’ll never forget.

The vision came so clearly that I literally jumped out of bed. Ideas flooded my mind faster than I could process them. I grabbed a notebook and started writing as fast as I could. By the time the sun came up, I had mapped out an entire four-year plan for my life.

The very next morning, I was at registration.

Before the day was over, I had already applied to cosmetology school.

It didn’t make sense to everyone around me, but it made perfect sense to me. For the first time in years, I felt peace.

My husband believed in that dream and helped me finance the beginning of my education. Looking back now, I can see God’s hand in every single step that followed. He opened doors I couldn’t have opened myself, placed the right people in my path, and continued to remind me that obedience is always worth it.

I’ve always been creative. I’ve always loved working with my hands. I’ve always found joy in helping people feel seen, cared for, and restored. I just never realized those gifts could all come together in one career.

Cosmetology isn’t just about hair to me.

It’s about creating a safe space.

It’s about helping someone see beauty in themselves again.

It’s about listening without judgment.

It’s about healing in ways that go far beyond what you can see in the mirror.

These are the gifts God entrusted me with, and today I choose to steward them with excellence.

Now, almost two years later, I stand on the edge of graduation, overwhelmed with gratitude for where this journey has taken me.

And just when I thought God was finished writing this chapter, He reminded me that He was only getting started.

Through a series of conversations and opportunities that only He could orchestrate, I was introduced to Rebecca, the owner of Essence Esthetics. From the moment I stepped inside, something felt different. It wasn’t just another salon or spa—it felt like a place where peace lived.

As we talked, I realized our visions aligned in ways I never expected. She wasn’t simply offering me a booth; she was offering me the opportunity to build the business God had placed on my heart. She believed in my potential before I even held my cosmetology license, and together we began planning for what my future at Essence could look like.

That opportunity became another reminder that when God calls you somewhere, He also prepares the way.

Soon, I’ll be opening Hair & Halo’s Co. inside Essence Esthetics—a business built on faith, excellence, compassion, and connection. My prayer is that every person who sits in my chair leaves feeling more confident than when they arrived, not only because of how they look, but because of how they were loved while they were there.

Looking back, I can finally see that every closed door, every setback, every season of uncertainty, and every painful chapter wasn’t punishment.

It was preparation.

God wasn’t taking my purpose away.

He was leading me to it.