What prompted you to go into cosmetology?

So what prompted me to go into cosmetology was that I’ve always been very interested in, like, the beauty industry and everything to do with beauty. I’ve always been very look-oriented, so I’ve always kept up with my makeup, my hair. And I wasn’t always like that, but all of a sudden I took an interest into it, and it’s just like a genuine passion that I have in my life.

What are some book recommendations you have?

My book recommendations would be “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara. “Letters to Milena” by Franz Kafka. Literally any book by Franz Kafka I will recommend, because he’s, like, one of my favorite authors and I love his writing style. It’s very poetic, and very personal, and I feel like if you’re into more deep stuff, you’ll like his books.

Who are some of your favorite celebrity icons?

The one and only Lana Del Rey. She’s my queen, I worship her. She’s just someone that I actually look up to. Her music speaks to me. Another icon is Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s like one of the best actors. “Brokeback Mountain” is my favorite movie. Everyone needs to watch it. I love that movie. I love Oscar Issac as well. 

What role does creativity play in your life?

I have always been a very creative person. Even as a little girl, I would always write stories. I’ve always been artistic, people tell me that I can draw. I don’t really exercise that talent to my fullest potential, but it’s something that I can do. And, yeah, I’m just, I feel like I’ve always been creative but I’ve never really fully discovered the potential of it.

What do you think is the purpose of life?

There’s very many different perspectives that people have on this topic. And for a long time, I thought that, you know, life doesn’t matter, so you can do whatever you want. And to a certain extent, I still believe that. But there’s, you know, there’s more to life than just not caring about what happens. Every decision that you make leads you to a certain path, and wherever that path leads you, you know, it’s where you’ll end up. And it’s just like life. 

What are your favorite Movies?

My favorite movies are, of course, “Brokeback Mountain.” That will always be my number one top favorite movie. My other favorite movie that’s like neck-to-neck with “Brokeback” is “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” That movie is also very meaningful to me. All my favorite movies, they have a meaning to me. They’re very special in my life. And also “Call Me by Your Name” and “La La Land.” I have a lot.

What does friendship mean to you?

Okay, friendship, to me, has always been a core in my life. I’ve always had to have a friendship in my life. I value my friends a lot, and I feel like platonic relationships are one of the most important type of relationship that you can have. To a certain level, it’s much deeper than a romantic one because you can bond with someone so much to the point where you don’t have to be attracted to that person to have them be something special in your life. You don’t have to do all these romantic things for them to be your soulmate, because a friendship can be a soulmate relationship. I’ve always valued my friendships to the best capacity. Friendships are just such an important thing to have in life, and even if they fail, you can at least say, “Oh, well, you know, I knew that person enough to have that deep of a bond with.”

How do you balance your social life and ambitions?

To be honest, I don’t have much of a social life. I kind of like to keep it that way because it gives me more space for myself to focus on what I really want in life. There’s been certain points in my life where I’ve had all these friends, and it’s just too much to keep up with. I end up focusing more on that person, on those people, than myself and what I want in life. I try to keep my social life, nothing crazy. I talk to a few people, but it’s not like a whole sorority of people. I like to keep to myself most of the time and focus just on me.

What’s a Hobby you’d like to pick up and why? 

A hobby that I would honestly love to pick up is painting. I can draw like I’m fully capable of doing it. I just feel I doubt myself too much, and I just never try to my fullest ability to do it.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

I feel like my fashion sense has always fluctuated over the years. I’ve never really stuck with one. I try to make it bold. I try to make a statement. I never hide who I am because I don’t think it’s good for me, and I don’t think it’s good for people to hide themselves. I feel like people should always fully express themselves to the best of their ability, and that’s what I’ve always done with my fashion sense. I always go for bolder looks, more in your face: I’ve always dyed my hair, I have piercings, I wear a lot of makeup. I just prefer boldness. I like to stick out. 

If you could travel anywhere right now where would it be?

I would travel to Italy. I have always wanted to travel to Italy. I want to get married in Italy. “Call Me by Your Name”  took place in Italy, that’s why I want to go there. 

What was the most challenging task you’ve encountered recently in cosmetology?

I feel like the most challenging thing right now of Cosmo is all the book work and all the information because there’s a lot of regulations that you have to be aware of or else you’ll get written up. Or the state board, they’ll dock you for something. You also have to be really careful in the real world with your clients. There’s so many rules to keep up with, but I believe that over time, I’ll get used to them.

How do you see your future looking once you receive your license?

I know that I obviously do want to keep pursuing a career in cosmetology. I want to eventually own my own salon, but I know it’s gonna take a lot of hard work, but I’m willing to put in the hard work to become successful.