God Rescued Me: What Cosmetology School Taught Me About My Calling as an Author

When I think back on my time pursuing cosmetology, I realize something now that I couldn’t fully see then: sometimes what feels like the right path at first isn’t where you’re meant to stay.

Yesterday I talked about experiencing racism in cosmetology school, and reflecting on it now brings a deeper understanding. Most cosmetology programs — and many salons — are structured around serving white audiences. The training often focuses heavily on white hair textures, white beauty standards, and styles designed for white clients. Yes, there may be some attention given to textured hair, but it often feels secondary rather than central.

For someone who values diversity and representation, that reality can feel limiting. It creates an environment where some students have to adapt constantly instead of simply belonging.

At first, I thought the discomfort meant I had failed somehow. But now I see it differently. What felt restrictive was actually revealing something to me: I needed a space where I could create without being boxed in.

That’s where writing came in.

As an author, I don’t have to fit inside one industry’s mold. I can center many perspectives. I can speak about experiences that don’t always make it into mainstream spaces. I can explore identity, culture, faith, and beauty on my own terms. Writing allows me to be expansive in a way that cosmetology never fully did.

The lessons from cosmetology school weren’t wasted. They sharpened my awareness. They showed me how systems can unintentionally exclude people and how important it is to create spaces where more voices are seen and heard. What once felt like frustration has become insight.

When I say “God rescued me,” I’m not saying the journey was perfect or easy. I’m saying that sometimes redirection is a form of protection. Sometimes you’re moved away from a path not because you aren’t good enough for it, but because your purpose is bigger than what that space can hold.

Now, instead of only creating beauty on the outside, I get to create through words — something that can reach across backgrounds, experiences, and communities.

Maybe that’s the lesson: detours aren’t always detours. Sometimes they’re directions.

And for me, becoming an author feels like freedom — the freedom to be diverse, honest, and fully myself.