Celebrity hairstylist making most of her second chance - Overcomes anger issues to make her mark as beauty insider

Shamara Rose, 28, is the go-to hairstylist of several Jamaican celebrities, but this dream job nearly didn't happen because of her nightmare past.

As a teen, Rose was arrested and charged several times for fighting as, she said, persons in her Waterford, St Catherine community always picked on her.

"Mi used to end up a jail every minute. The police dem out at the station know mi by mi first name, because mi name used to always be in dem logbook. The police dem use to call mi 'beat and patrol' the way mi always involved inna war," she said. Due to the numerous court appearances to answer to assault charges, even court staff knew her by name. She also got pregnant at age 16 and did not graduate from Cumberland High School.

But Rose said she was given a new lease on life in 2012 and has been making the best of the opportunity. The mother of one is the owner and operator of beauty salon Stylezbymara which she started a little over a year ago. Her turning point came when she thought she was destined for prison.

"Mi start think about how mi son a go manage without mi. And mi sit down outside before mi go in di courtroom and mi pray, and mi tell God say if him ever spare mi from prison that day, mi promise Him say mi wouldn't go back to mi old ways," she said. "When mi go in the court, the clerk told the judge that I had about 10 ongoing cases, and the judge told them to find the other cases, and told me that I was going to prison. Mi start pray again. Dem couldn't find the cases dem and the judge tell mi say mi is a lucky girl, but if she ever see mi back in her courtroom, she is locking me away."

Embracing her second chance, she tried securing a job. She did a customer service course, but believed that her voice was too 'coarse' for the job.

"Mi start work at a bar, but it never worked out because I was a bleacher and the owner was running an uptown establishment, so he said I wasn't too fitting for the post," she said. While working on a construction site, someone complimented her hairstyle which Rose had done herself.

"Same time, she tell mi say a woman was looking someone to work in a salon. Mi never formally trained in hairdressing, but mi go same way. Nuff time when mi a do certain style, is mi friend mi have to call to ask how it do," she said. Rose later got certified at D'Marie Institute Limited. Rose thanked God for humbling her as she at first had to deal with a disrespectful colleague.

"While I was working with the woman, I met a celebrity hairstylist who took my number and took me under her wings, and right there I began doing a lot of Jamaican celebrity hair. Mi then fix up a little space on mi verandah," she said. Rose was hesitant, though, as she felt that because of her past conflicts, residents of Waterford would not support her.

"But mi nah go tell any lies, dem a support mi. Even people who mi and dem did fight, mi a do dem hair now," she said. Rose implored young girls to stay away from negativity and focus on achieving their goals.

"Just humble yourself, because it will definitely take you through life. Control your anger and just focus on achieving your goals. Just be positive about life; and you will have to be the one who wants to make a change. When mi did a bad, no one could tell mi to stop and mi listen. I just had to look in myself and know that the path that I am going down has no light there. Just stay focused," she said.