Aisling Campbell, named the 2017 North American Hairstyling Award (NAHA) winner for Student Hairstylist of The Year, is yet another Aveda Artist we have discovered with an inherently kind heart. In accepting her NAHA award, Aisling gave an emotional speech that went far beyond recognizing her mentors at Inspire Greatness Aveda Institute Tucson. “I’m honored to work for the Gospel Rescue Mission, which is a women’s and children’s center in Tucson,” Aisling said. “I would like to acknowledge those women who fight every day for their recovery, for their sobriety and for their families; they inspire me. They show the strength of a woman who is determined to succeed and I’m so proud to take this [award] back to them.”
Aisling began volunteering in 2015 at the nonprofit organization’s sector that provides a safe haven and free services for women and children who are homeless, victims of abuse or are in need of addiction recovery.
When Aisling enrolled at the Aveda Institute Tucson (AIT) in 2016, she transitioned to a part time job at the Gospel Rescue Mission and always felt the two were a good match. “I knew I wanted to work more with women who were coming out of homelessness and I really felt like that would be nurtured and empowered at AIT.”
Indeed, it was. While at AIT, Aisling exceled at hairdressing, and helped implement the Day of Beauty program for the women of the shelter to receive cutting and styling services at the school. Along the way she learned about Aveda Founder Horst Rechelbacher who’s mission was to ‘care for the world we live in.’ “I love that Horst learned so much and used that knowledge to strive for change,” Aisling says.
Now graduated and set to work at Salon Blonde, Aisling will continue to volunteer at the Gospel Rescue Mission leading the Day of Beauty Program. “I have already been able to perform hair services for several women who are in the recovery process from sex trafficking and I plan to create more ongoing service opportunities,” Aisling says. “It is a huge privilege to know these women and I can’t wait to help them more.”
#BeautyHeals
Every day Aveda Artists and salons across the world engage in charitable acts of compassion and kindness. Through #BeautyHeals we are celebrating the people behind these stories, and invite you to search this hashtag for these inspiring stories.
If you are an Aveda Artist and have your own volunteering story to share, please do so using #BeautyHeals. By sharing and celebrating these stories we are paving the way for others to also give back— because passion begets passion.
We are also to conintue to share the joy of our Mission and our Founder Horst by celebrating his legacy and life through stories shared with the hashtag #ItsAllAboutLove
