help baz go to beauty school

hi i’m baz! i’m a disabled queer trans man raising money to help me follow my passion and get out of the food service industry which has caused a lot of physical strain on my disabled body.

i decided this summer that i would finally jump and commit to going to beauty school, something that i have wanted to do for a very long time but was always intimidated to actually sort through the process of figuring out how to make it happen. i also am desperate to get out of the food service industry which i have been working in since i was 15 (i’m 23 now). i have felt trapped in a never ending cycle as someone who didn’t go to college and had untraditional schooling, food service is the only industry i have experience in and i have struggled to find work outside of it due to my lack of experience in any field and lack of college credentials. i have a chronic pain disorder called fibromyalgia which effects your nervous system & musculoskeletal stuff, it has over 200 symptoms but most common being wide spread pain, headaches, extreme fatigue, and after the last few years it has also caused a vertigo disorder due to muscle spasms effecting the muscles around my inner ear. working in the food service industry which is something i do for survival not for passion or enjoyment along with my fibromyalgia is not long-term sustainable for my disorder and only aggravates it more.

going to beauty school means being able to work a job where i can be creative, make people feel more confident and euphoric in their own being, and be able to not have to do as much heavy lifting, rest/sit more, and eventually maybe have my own business or small salon and be able to accommodate my own disability better than working as a line/prep cook can.

i am raising funds because even after applying for financial aid/loans because i am under 24 the goverment won’t view me as financially independent from my parents, so it will only cover a quarter of my 15k tuition costs despite my parents making no where near the income to be able to cover the rest of my school costs.

to be able to start school which i’m aiming for late december i will need half of my tuition costs which financial aid should mostly cover so this is to cover the rest which i need to pay by graduation (6-8 months) to be able to let the school release my grades and so i can go get my license. this gofundme is the costs of the rest of my tuition plus a little extra incase it’s needed/because gofundme takes a portion/transportation costs.

if i end up not needing as much i will donate any extra to mutual aid! if you have read this far thank you! ❤️

also if you live in PDX and donate i am happy to do your hair for free as a thank you for helping me with my education.