Meet Imani

I always tell my students, the more I know about them, the better equipped I am to help them get to where they want to be. Some of my students accept this invitation… to be known. What a courageous act - to put their dreams out there!

This is Imani. She's 2 months from graduating with a Bachelors in Media Communications. Just like my other students, she's gotten an education in all things digital content creation.

What sets Imani apart is her love for make-up. It was something she made known to me and other students very early on. Because of that, she's regularly called to the set of a movie or a photo shoot along with her countless shades of eyeshadow and lipstick.

So once I get to know a student, like Imani, I am notorious for coming up with crazy ideas that usually start with "Wouldn't it be cool if..." As I let my imagination run wild, I disclaim that they are just ideas... not “should”s or “have to”s.

But that's exactly how Imani ended up doing glam make-up looks at this weekend's Drag Race 5K Fun Run. To kick off Pride Week, this event was co-hosted by Come Out With Pride organizers and Zebra Coalition. Imani recently started a freelancing stylist business, so what better way to promote herself and her talents!

At first folks were hesitant to take her up on the offer, but all it took was a bunch of daring high schoolers lining up to get the buzz going.

The absolute best part of the day was witnessing Imani get noticed and approached for her skills and offered her next gig doing make-up at the upcoming Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit (OYES).

If you follow any of my stories, you know how deeply layered this one is. Synergy!