Ashmitha

"As someone who dropped out of formal education at 13 because of the financial situation in the family, I know the pain of not being able to pursue a dream," says Ashmitha, a South Indian makeup artist.

She is in the modeling, film, and makeover industry. With successful projects in the south, she etched a name for herself as a child artist, a model, and now a bridal makeup artist and educator.

However, her family was in a financial crunch before she entered the field, including difficulty paying the rent, regular expenses, and even her school fees. So, she took on her parents' duties as the family's breadwinner when she was just 13 years old.

After 5 years, she made a shift to pursue makeup as her career. In no time, she realized the dearth of makeup educators. So, her passion for makeup and the desire to empower women to be financially independent led her to set up her academy.

Her brainchild, Asmitha Makeover Artistry Academy, provides makeover education to beauty aspirants in makeup, hairstyling, saree draping, nail extension & art, mehendi art, and flower-making. The academy's signature program, the 5-Week Professional Makeover Course, is a full-fledged, job-oriented program for anyone looking to learn the skills and launch a career in the makeover industry.

The academy awards one scholarship worth more than a lakh and a half rupees to a financially needy student in each batch. The scholarship draws the interest of many aspirants, especially from rural places in South India. "Money should never be a stumbling block to realizing your dreams and goals. So my team and I review all the applications, then get in touch with select students to confirm their financial status, including an in-person visit to their places, before giving the coveted, equal-opportunity scholarship," she continues.

So far, the scholarship has helped 50 Above Students. In addition, the academy offers online sessions free of cost for individuals who cannot afford to pay the fees. "We recently gave my online self-grooming session for free for young girls/women who are financially incapable of paying for courses and approached us with their requests for free sessions. Since it coincided with the time I was approaching 1M on Instagram, giving was even more meaningful," she says.

She and her team are on a mission to create financially independent women by launching careers as makeover artists. Her academy's courses, innovative curriculum, state-of-the-art facility, and delivery methods make it great place to pursue makeover education.

And for the awardees, receiving a scholarship to her most sought-after 5-Week course is a good experience. The academy is currently accepting scholarship applications.