Transylvania University is supporting its students in an exciting new way.
The college, which is located in Lexington, Kentucky, recently unveiled a brand-new beauty supply vending machine that’s backed by the school’s diversity and inclusion department.
The vending machine has become a campus staple for the small percentage of Black students at the college, according to Krissalyn Love, Transylvania University’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The vending machine includes hair products, makeup, accessories, and other potential beauty needs for Black students and is located in the school’s community center, reports Spectrum News 1.
“It’s so good to have a visual representation that inclusion matters,” Love said. “Inclusion is essential to how they interact in the classroom and how they perform in the classroom.” She continued, “…’Cause to the outside [population], hair could be insignificant, but one thing in particular that I know Black students really care about is how to care for their hair.”
Melanie Higgins Day, a central Kentucky natural hair specialist, created the vending machine with students in mind. She even restocks the vending machine with new products and takes students’ buying habits into consideration to include items they want.
“Melanie was super mindful of [making] sure the pricing was gonna be economically savvy for the students,” Love said. “She actually underpriced [products in the vending machine].”
Love added that she hopes the vending machine will also inspire Black students to pursue their own business ventures and embrace entrepreneurship.
Day previously opened a beauty vending machine at Berea College in Kentucky back in February.
Photo by Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf