About
About the Scholarship
As body piercers and makers, our trade is rooted in indigenous practice, as ancient as 320 CE. Since then, body modification has been co-opted, suppressed, condemned and re-popularized in the Western World. Over the past couple of decades, we’ve built an incredibly solid industry based on health and safety. As our field expands, the diversity of our members must follow. We can aid our profession and honor our extensive history by culturally socializing our industry. We believe attendance and representation are the first frontier.
This scholarship was started by BIPOC piercers for BIPOC industry professionals and it serves to create safe spaces, platforms, networks and opportunities for our industry community. With the assistance of our esteemed colleagues, this crowdfunded scholarship will continue to provide financial assistance to piercers, apprentices and jewelry specialists/support staff who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
Founder and Coordinators
From left to right:
Vivi Madero - Coordinator
Kookie - Founder of the POC Scholarship and Black Piercer Party
Vanessa Aguilar - Coordinator
Many thanks to our peer volunteers:
Ed Chavarria, Monica Sabin, Miro Hernandez, Steph Mariano, Nessa Rule, Devin Ruiz-Altamura, Jimmy Maldonado, Lalena Vazquez, Bronson Vazquez, Chontel Willis, Luis Garcia, Luna Duran and Trevor Thomas.
Our journey over the years
January - June 2025
January - June 2024
January - June 2023
Sept. 2019 - June 2022
May 2019
Our goal is to be able to fund 14 scholarship packages. These include:
- 1 full conference pass including unlimited classes, expo floor access & an opening/closing party ticket
- A 5 night stay at Planet Hollywood, arriving Sunday and departing Friday. Each recipient will have their own bed, in a shared room with 1 other recipient.
- A food and travel stipend
- Scheduling assistance & mentorship throughout the week
- A group event with the Black Piercer Party scholars
With help from the APP and our community, we surpassed our goal and raised $16,060 to send 13 scholars to conference on a "full ride" scholarship. This also included a mid-week dinner with a party bus shuttle. Additionally, we were able to offer 6 passes to the Core Essentials online curriculum as well as buy this website domain for the next 3 years!
We raised $5,839 to send 4 scholars to conference on a “full ride” scholarship. With help from the APP, we were also able to send 4 more scholars to the event with a partial scholarship package, thus allowing us to send 8 scholars to APP.
*Special thank you to Monica Sabin for creating our graphic artwork*
Covid delayed this conference by a few years which allowed us to raise $4,555 to send 5 piercers to conference on a "full ride" scholarship. From this event, Black Piercer Party was born.
Inception - trailblazed by Kookie & Stephanie Mariano Launched to fight the financial barriers of access and education.