Dominique Broaden
Michigan College of Beauty
Monroe Campus
Arnold L. Miller “Find-A-Way” Scholarship – $15,000
“The Power of Community”
Culture, braiding and the courage to persevere are interwoven in Dominque’s journey to become a hairstylist. Enrolling in beauty school as a teenager, Dominique was forced to abandon her program due to a lack of funding. After earning a bachelor’s degree, she worked in the foster care system but never lost her passion for beauty. After re-enrolling in beauty school, Dominique learned that the funding she thought would finance her career studies was less than half what was required. Not one to ever give up, she applied for the Arnold Miller Find-A-Way scholarship. Her scholarship application video blends culture, and a passion for beauty history as she shares how African Americans used intricate cornrow braids as a communications tool during the days of slavery. Her keen interest in Africa is reflected in her hairstyling submissions, evoking the warm hues and graceful silhouettes of the savanna landscapes. But it is her spirit of resilience and courage that really shines through. Recalling another fighter who never gave up, Dominque quotes Sir Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Watch her video below.
