“This college is definitely a truly safe space for all immigrants. It 100 percent unites people. Not just for the time being at the college but also after that.”
Cosmetology Graduate is Grateful to Emily Griffith Foundation for Scholarships that Propelled Her Success
Diana Schmitt always dreamed of becoming a hairdresser when she lived in Ukraine.
It was a goal that seemed out of reach for the longest time, until she moved to Denver seven years ago and learned about Emily Griffith Technical College.
“I knew that I wanted to do hair when I moved here,” she says. “But, I wanted to learn English first.”
Luckily, Emily Griffith offers both English Language Acquisition classes and has a barbering program.
When Diana found out about Emily Griffith, she applied immediately and started English courses right away. She desperately needed to learn the language in order to live and thrive in her new surroundings.
“We learned English in Ukraine in high school, but it’s more of the British way. It’s pretty different… accent wise and vocabulary too,” Diana says. “My ex-partner, he was pretty fluent in English, and we would get together with people he knew, Americans mostly. I would be sitting quietly in the corner and not talking and feeling so awkward if someone would talk to me.”
Some things she understood, but it was incredibly difficult for her to communicate with others. Everything slowly started to get better after she started classes at Emily Griffith.
“When you attend these kinds of classes, where everyone, all the immigrants are on the same page in the same place, experiencing the same issues, you kind of overcome not being confident,” Diana says. “It becomes easier to communicate, because you understand that it’s ok to make mistakes as long as you don’t give up and keep trying.”
Diana paid for most of her ESL classes, but she needed financial help with her last course. She was able to secure a scholarship that was provided to her and other students through the Emily Griffith Foundation.
She says she never would have made it through her barbering classes at Emily Griffith Technical College if it weren’t for the money she received from Emily Griffith Foundation.
“I asked for help, and I was heard,” she said. “I applied and asked for money, and I was supported by the Foundation and I’m really grateful for that.”
Now, Diana owns her own salon in Cherry Hills of Denver where she rents a small suite and specializes in “curly, textured hair.” It’s called Tame It Curl Haus.
She’s been saving money to expand her business beyond just herself. She’d like to hire an assistant and teach others how to work with curly hair.
However, her expansion plans will have to wait a bit longer, as a good chunk of her savings is going to help her family in Eastern Ukraine, including her younger sister who is 25.
“We are all hoping for the end of all this nonsense as soon as possible with the best scenario for the whole world,” says Diana.
She will remain forever grateful for Emily Griffith Technical College and Emily Griffith Foundation.
“I always talk so highly about this college. I met the best people through this college. They have wonderful instructors. I’ve had so much support with this college,” says Diana. “It definitely impacted my life. This college is definitely a truly safe space for all immigrants. It 100 percent unites people. Not just for the time being at the college but also after that.”