04 Nov Keepers of the Flame Scholarship November 2022: Mariah Dudley

Mariah Dudley, Gawgeously Lashed and Retail/ Wholesale Eyelash Extensions Supplier, in Florida

Tell us why you should be chosen to receive this seed funding for educational, career or business pursuits. How will you use the funds?  

Please tell me I can’t do something because I’ll try even harder to prove you wrong! Like many other entrepreneurs I know, I’ve traveled a bumpy road to get to where I am today, but those obstacles gave me strength and helped me appreciate the truly important things in life. I’ve worn my scars like badges of honor! I wish to make a contribution to the betterment of women but specifically WOC in my community and beyond. Your scholarship will help me take another step forward towards living out my dreams. The funds will be used to purchase inventory and towards my deposit to purchase a beauty vending machine.

What inspired you to pursue this course of action?  

Although I always loved eye lash extensions when I got into makeup, growing up poor as a foster child in the Tampa area made it difficult to have access black owned beauty supplies with variety of lashes for women who looked like me being mixed. I wanted to enhance my beauty but not change my look. So, I made-do in other ways by wearing what they had until I found something better. I searched high and low for vendors/suppliers that offered variety of lashes for WOC and myself.

For a year I purchased multiple lash styles and wore them to test the quality until I found the styles that fit my standards. I want my lash brand to be comfortable, have variety and the quality to be elite. Once I found my supplier I hit the ground running, I started selling lashes on hand. I had so many inquiries and customers I thought wow this could be a lucrative business. Since I couldn’t afford to pay anyone to brand and market my business, I learned all the iPhone photography tricks I could, watched YouTube videos to learn new skills. I began to brand myself on social media and attend vendor shows to get my name out there.

Three years in the making I have partnered with multiple makeup artist locally that allowed me to feature my lashes on several celebrities in the R&B and hip-hop community. I’m hoping to become a household lash brand or get into a retail beauty store (Sephora, Ulta, and Mac).

Would the scholarship be in honor or memory of someone pivotal in your life? Or tied to a national cause awareness month? 

National Foster Care Awareness. The official symbol of Foster Care Awareness is a blue ribbon. This blue ribbon represents spreading awareness and acknowledging the over 400,000 children in foster care in the United States. Youth who are displaced are more likely to face limited access and insecurity in housing, food, and health care.

What makes you a candidate for success in your chosen endeavor? 

Winston Churchill once said, “Success consist of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” And while I never define my obstacles as “failures”, I mark my success by my repeated perseverance through adversity. I have faced several challenges over the years and overcame them all, from aging out of the foster care system to homelessness; yet I continued to be an exemplary change agent in my community. I deserve this scholarship because I have the strength and determination to achieve my goals, no matter what hurdles I have to overcome.

What steps can you take to “pay it forward” by supporting other women in their educational, career or business aspirations?  

The steps I can take to pay it forward is by making sure women’s ideas are heard, looking for opportunities to boost other women’s confidence and encourage them to go for it. Mentorship and sponsorship are key drivers of success, I want to commit my time and energy to mentor women in the future.