Cancer survivor makes illness her inspiration to go back to school

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) –  Tuesday was a day of pampering and relaxation for cancer survivors in Macon who attended Virginia College’s annual Beauty and Support Day.

For Latoya Avery, it was more than just an opportunity to receive free services. It was reassurance that she is still beautiful. She says even after her battle with cancer, she’s still fighting.

“I didn’t really find myself attractive and sometimes I look and I still don’t find myself attractive,” Avery said.

Despite the scars that cancer left her with, she’s fighting to feel beautiful after facing such an ugly illness.

“You know whether it’s my brittle nails, or you know my extra, extra dry skin now that I went through those treatments,” she explained.

Avery is not only a survivor. She’s also a student at Virginia College’s Cosmetology School, and one of the dozens of women who received free beauty services during the Beauty and Support Day.

“You know to come and get services,even if it is one day out of the year, you know it makes me feel good,” she told 41NBC.

Her run with the disease quickly became her reason to re-enroll in school–this time as a cosmetology student trying to make others feel good too.

“It wasn’t the end of my life, it was really just the beginning. You know I thought it was the end but it really was the beginning of my life because through that process I found some things in me. That’s what prompted me to come back to school,” she said.

Student, survivor and soon-to-be stylist, Avery’s story is proof that even the ugliest of illnesses can make for a beautiful outcome.

If you’re interested in a career in cosmetology, you can head down to the Virginia College Campus on Eisenhower Parkway to get more information or click the link for access to the school’s website.