WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A couple of North Carolina students are making history.

Over the past seven years, Gifted Hands Academy has educated more than 350 students and licensed more than 300 professionals. 

Two 11-year-old sisters, Ebuni Pearl and Camille Haith, are the youngest graduates of the academy.

“When I was 4, I used to sit in the mirror and try to do my own hair," Pearl said. "And then I got a little bit older, too, around 6, where I started doing braids and my Barbies.”

The goal of the academy is to empower young people and adults who face adversity to establish sustainable career paths.

“There's people that look like you similar age and are overcoming some of the same obstacles," Gifted Hands Academy founder Kristal Pearl Haith said. "One of the biggest challenges was maintaining school while attending, and she did a 'B' honor roll the whole school year.”

 

Ebuni Pearl sacrificed extracurricular activities to learn something new and has overcome additional obstacles of her own.

“When I was born, had a sickle cell crisis where me and my mom's blood were crossed, and I had to stay in the hospital for three days,” Pearl said.

She said despite small beginnings, she didn’t let shortcomings stop her from being successful. For her, Gifted Hands Academy bridged that gap.

“The program has helped me do something I love that doesn't harm me in any way," Pearl said.

Pearl and her sister are now the youngest licensed natural hair care specialists in the state. They received diplomas in June, joining 15 other natural hair care specialists.