One of the biggest things that often pulls people into the beauty industry is a decision to pursue a passion rather than a career that their family and friends have pushed them towards. When Beverly Iwuala realized that she could turn something she loved into a career, rather than just continuing to see it as a hobby, that changed her trajectory completely. Read on to learn more about how Beverly made the choice to pursue her love of beauty.

Beverly Iwuala’s Passion

What made you first interested in cosmetology?

I started doing hair when I was 11 years old, but I never really saw it as what I was going to end up doing. It was just like a hobby. It was great. I went to college to pursue a career in the medical field, and I thought that was what I was passionate about. But now that I look back on it, my parents only gave me a few options. So that was the one that stood out the most.

I went through this schooling, and then in my junior year, I realized, “You know, I’m not really passionate about this.” I had the opportunity to travel abroad to Spain. It just really gave me time to think about what I wanted to do, and what I love doing. Do I want to spend the rest of my life doing something because my family just pushed me to do it? Or do I want to pursue something that I love? So, I came back and I was like, “You know what? As soon as I get my bachelor’s, as soon as I graduate, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do what I want to do.”

Why did you choose Ogle?

I looked at a few schools. I think what really stood out to me was the culture here at Ogle. In the other schools that I looked at, there was this odd vibe. It wasn’t as welcoming as Ogle was. I’m somebody who believes that if I’m going to be here for ten months to a year, I want to feel like family, I want to feel welcome, and I want to be part of the team. So that’s really what stood out to me at Ogle. Even after my first conversation with admissions, the lady in admissions, I was like, “Oh, gosh, she had a great attitude.” I was like, “Okay, this is good, this is good.” So, I came here. And from then on, I didn’t look at any other schools.

Have you participated in any competitions at Ogle School?

The first ever competition I did was actually last year, TrendVision. We were getting models together and everything. All was going well. Two days before the TrendVision shoot, my model cancels on me. It was just some personal family stuff. And I’ve been looking forward to TrendVision since I was in Phase 1, and this is Phase 2. I was pretty bummed out. As I saw everyone getting ready, I was like, “Man, I really wanted this too.” But I was like, “You know what? I’m just going to keep on trying. I went on social media. I put out a model casting call, I was like, “Hey, anyone…” Just… “Anyone,” you know? And someone tagged the model in my photograph. And she was like, “Oh, thanks but my hair’s shaved on the sides, so I probably can’t do it.” I was like, “Hey, just come in. Let’s work out something. Whatever you have, I’ll work with it.”

So, within an hour of that post, she was here at Ogle getting her hair lightened. We didn’t make it to semi-finalists in TrendVision, but we actually went to Face Off and I won second place at Face Off. And it’s crazy because I’m just like, “Wow, she literally came the day before.” For us to make it that far. We didn’t make it to TrendVision but that’s still a big accomplishment, to be the only one to bring back the trophy. And people weren’t even able to tell that, you know, I didn’t have a model two days before this photo shoot. It was pretty cool.

What drew you to the What’s Next Awards?

I heard about it here, and I wasn’t going to do it. But Zean, she’s all excited. She made me decide to try because I love the challenge. I never saw myself as a creative individual until I got into the beauty industry. And then I started thinking like, “Wait. Oh, snap. I can create art with hair. It’s really cool.” It was a great opportunity. In November, I won the Sebastian regional competition, which qualified me for the nationals. I ended up getting first place as well. I reached out to some photographers that I knew, and I said, “Hey, can you send me some good models?” I’m very picky about my models because to me, the model is key. Sometimes you have a great hairstyle but if you have a model who can’t walk and she’s not confident, it kind of messes up everything.

What did you love about your Ogle School experience?

I think Ogle really did a good job of teaching me how the beauty industry works, how to present yourself, how to go for it, to get these different opportunities. It opened so many doors. Without Ogle, if I would have gone to another cosmetology school, I don’t think I would be as ambitious as I am right now. I wouldn’t have been exposed to Wella or Sebastian, or this whole family. I probably wouldn’t know what I had in me. Ogle really did a good job of really tugging at that creative side of me and bringing it out. So that’s something I’m very thankful for because now, it’s like my eyes open and I know that the possibilities are endless, really.

Discover Your Own Beautiful Story

If you also love beauty, it’s important that you discover the beauty path that works best for you at Ogle School. This may be the cosmetology program or the esthetics program, but either way, Ogle School will be here to support you through it. If you’re interested in learning more, request more information to start learning about how Ogle School can support you.