Becky

My name is Becky, I'm 19 years old, and I'm the oldest of three siblings. In my home, that comes with financial pressure. I've always been aware that every opportunity I take has to matter, because it affects more than just me.

That's why when I heard about a fully sponsored scholarship through Compassion International in partnership with Lintons Foundation, I didn't hesitate. It was fully funded, and that mattered a lot to me. It meant my mom wouldn't have to struggle to raise fees. It meant I could gain a skill without becoming a burden at home. For my family, that relief was everything.

At Lintons Academy, I enrolled in a diploma in skincare and makeup artistry. At first, I doubted myself because I hadn't studied biology in high school. But my trainer, Miss Nema, created a learning environment that felt safe and supportive. She encouraged questions, and even after class, if I didn't understand something, I could text her, and she would reply or share notes.

Slowly, my fear turned into confidence, and that confidence showed up in my performance. One of my proudest moments was scoring very high marks in my exams after starting out unsure of myself.

After training, I went for an internship, but the beginning was a little disappointing. In the place I was assigned, they didn't offer makeup services the way I expected. If I wanted to practice, I had to bring my own products and clients. Most days, it felt like I was just sitting there and watching other employees work.

But I didn't want to waste the opportunity.

Around that time, I received a makeup starter kit from Uncover as a gift. And my mom helped me buy some additional products I needed. I then started by practicing on myself, the interns, and salon workers who were around me. The environment was full of beauty professionals, so I treated it like a live classroom. I focused on one skill that I knew needed work: eyebrows.

In school, I wasn't confident with eyebrows, so I used that time to improve the practical skills that make a real difference: shaping, shaving with a razor, microblading techniques, applying concealer cleanly, and highlighting the edges properly. I wasn't just trying to be “good.” I wanted to be sharp.

That's when my content creation dream came alive.

Even before Lintons, I had always wanted to be a content creator, but I didn't know where to start. At Lintons, I met people who were already filming, editing, and sharing their work online through YouTube. One friend, Chanel, showed me editing techniques, how to remove things from a video, and how to make content look cleaner and more professional. I started learning more on my own too by following creators online and studying how they edit.

That's when I realized content creation is more than posting videos online. It was a platform for visibility and business.

So I started experimenting. Like many young people, I began on TikTok with dancing, then moved to funny videos, and gradually started showing beauty-related content because now I had real skills to share. I'm still exploring my niche, but I know what I'm building toward: I want to become a creator who works with skincare and beauty brands.

I want to reach a point where I don't have to chase brands; brands look for me, and they pay for visibility. I want to build a life where I can earn from content, from marketing, and from the beauty skills I've developed without depending on my family financially.

Lintons Academy didn't just teach me skincare and makeup.

It gave me confidence, a professional skill set, a learning environment that pushed me, and the courage to take initiative even when things weren't perfect. Now I'm not just dreaming about influence, I'm building the foundation for a future where my skills can support me, my family, and eventually inspire other young women to go after what they want.