Me Too, Black Lives Matter, Time’s Up, and the implementation of STEM in education are a few of the movements making progress in creating awareness about injustices, including the lack of equality in our society. Despite improvements, injustices regarding gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, and economic status still abound. Cultural awareness is a personal journey that starts when we understand that not everyone has had the same experiences shape their frame of reference and not everyone sees the world through the same lens.

A technician, educator, mentor, and business owner, Mary Nielsen has been at the forefront in medical aesthetics since its infancy in the early 1990s. She is currently vice chair and industry expert on the Oregon Board of Certified Advanced Estheticians. She is the author of “Fearless Beauties,” along with other aesthetic texts. She is the executive director of an aesthetic school, the founder of Fearless Beauties, and the creator of Cascade Aesthetic Alliance and Skintelligent Resources.