DOUGLAS J ANNOUNCES
NATURAL TALENT RUNWAY CONTEST WINNERS
Scholarships Help Make Dreams Come True
OKEMOS-----Dreams have started
to come true for three talented young people who
hope for a career in the cosmetology industry, Scott
Weaver, President and Co-Owner of Douglas J, announced
today. He said that Jesten Myers, Megan Francis
and Rabeca Overley were the top three scholarship
prize winners at the Natural Talent Runway Competition
that was held Sunday, May 20, at the Douglas J Aveda
Institute in Grand Rapids. The three will receive
their cosmetology education at the Douglas J Aveda
Institutes in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and East Lansing.
“It’s so exciting to help these young
people receive the kind of top-notch education that
can lead to very successful careers in the cosmetology
industry,” Weaver said. “The Aveda Institutes
are well-known for the high-caliber training their
students receive.”
As part of the competition, each contestant demonstrated
their natural talent by styling hair, applying makeup
and selecting a wardrobe for a model. The models
then walked down a runway emulating a true fashion
show atmosphere.
Myers, originally of Wayland, Michigan, was the
first place winner and she will receive a full tuition
cosmetology scholarship. She now lives in Grand
Rapids and she will study at the Douglas J Aveda
Institute in Grand Rapids.
Megan Francis will receive a half-tuition scholarship.
She lives in Fenton, Michigan, and she will study
at the Douglas J Aveda Institute in Ann Arbor.
Rabeca Overly will receive a one-quarter tuition
scholarship. She is from Byron, Michigan, and she
will attend the Douglas J Aveda Institute in East
Lansing.
Scott Weaver and TJ Weaver, Vice President of Education
for the Douglas J Company, also announced that they
will provide a $1,500 scholarship to the 15 contestants
who did not finish in the top three positions. “We
want to acknowledge their talent and hard work and
help them also get their cosmetology education off
to a good start,” Scott Weaver said.
This was the fifth year for the contest and the
first year that it was held in Grand Rapids. The
Douglas J Aveda Institute in Grand Rapids opened
earlier this year and the Douglas J Company recently
received an Outstanding Historic Preservation Award
from the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission
for the extensive renovation and restoration work
that it did on the building, which is located at
138 Commerce Avenue SW in downtown Grand Rapids.
