ANJI AMARJARGAL

I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of the eight Al. D Scholars this year. Just accepting the fact that I was actually going to be attending Conference was beyond belief. For someone coming from a country where there’s no community for piercers, I would get to attend seminars, meet my idols, and make new friends who have the same passion for body piercing. It is the biggest thing that has happen in my career as a piercer. Needless to say, the fact that I’ve never been to Las Vegas made it even more exciting.

The biggest advantage of being a scholar— which I never would have realized beforehand—is that you will become part of a big family and the best group of people, the Volunteer group. I was so naive to think the APP was this huge organization and Conference just happens. In reality what makes Conference happen is the amazing people in the Volunteer group. Just thinking I was there to help make this big event take place makes me very happy. Also my heart wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I went without mentioning my appreciation for Caitlin, who is the hardest working bee there is. Being the head of the Volunteers, she did an outstanding job on managing us from the very beginning and making sure we stayed sane through the busy week of working and learning.

The week was an emotional rollercoaster as the things I used to pray for were actually happening. When you’re from somewhere as remote as Mongolia, Las Vegas and the APP seem like a million miles away, something unattainable, yet there I was in Las Vegas at the APP Conference meeting Elayne Angel, Jim Ward, and many other amazing industry professionals from all over the globe. Caitlin made sure we, the Scholars, got to attend classes in addition to our work; they truly care about people who want to learn, improve, and sharpen their skill-sets related to body piercing. A huge thank you goes out to Badur Ramji from PunkMedics, who helped the Al.D Scholars make our dreams come true with his donations.

This week is going to be my highlight each year going forward. After everything I have witnessed there is no way I want to miss out on it again. Classes were well organized and were exceptionally interesting. The effort speakers put into teaching was very inspirational, for no reason other than sharing knowledge and helping us broaden our horizons, it was so heartwarming.

What I have gained after the week is gratitude, knowledge, and more  love  for  the  art of body piercing. For anyone out there  who has never been to Conference, I would highly recommend going! They say it’s life-changing, but you never truly understand how until you experience it yourself. I would call it The week of self polishing.

BECKY CROSSAN

Before getting   on the plane, and even during the journey, coming to Vegas for Conference had an unreal quality to it, as though it wasn’t something I was really brave enough to do. I’d thought about applying for years previously, but had always found a reason to miss the deadline and put it off for another  year. This year I was fortunate enough to have the support and encouragement of some friends who are previous Scholars and I finally set myself the challenge of sending the application in.

Until I actually arrived though, and started to meet people in person who I had previously only interacted with online, the whole thing felt dream-like. It’s difficult to put into words what this experience has meant to me. It has been transformative, not just in how I approach things as a piercer as I return home to my studio, but also in how I perceive myself. There’s been so much to learn and so much work to do, but what has really made Conference truly special has been the people.

I’ve met some amazing and inspiring people throughout this week and I feel very fortunate and honoured to call them my friends. It sounds cliché, but I tend to think that people in our community often feel like outsiders and like they don’t really quite fit in. For me, attending Conference felt like a homecoming and a sense of belonging to a community of people who understand.

As I reflect on this experience I want to say thank you to everyone who made it possible and everyone who made it so wonderful. This whole experience has shaped my confidence, happiness, and sense of self worth in more ways than you could ever know.

DANIEL WRIGHT

In today’s booming world of piercings, it’s easy to get bogged down looking at Instagram and Facebook only to see piercers  from all  over  the globe going to big conferences,  expanding their knowledge, networking and picking up the best jewellery money can offer. You, meanwhile, are left checking your bank balance and quietly accepting that you will never be one of those people…the Al. D Scholarship can change this.

As a recipient of this scholarship, I was given an opportunity that most people can only dream of and that was to leave my little English city and attend the most well known and respected conference in the piercing world: The Association of Professional Piercers Conference in Las Vegas, USA.

Upon arriving I was thrown straight into the mix, sharing a room with someone I had never met and put into a large group of other volunteers.

My feelings quickly changed from apprehension to sheer excitement as it became evident that these were the friendliest,  most dedicated  members of the piercing community. They give up their own time each year to set up and run Conference and have formed a family which they accepted me into with open arms.

Over the course of the five days I was running around, checking badges here, working the door there, all the while being given the opportunity to sit in seminars and classes with some of the most knowledgeable professionals around today. I can’t say it went down without a hitch; on the first time working on the door of a class with a fellow Scholar, the network went down on the scanning devices. Although I felt as if the world was going to swallow me up, as over a hundred pairs of eyes gazed at me patiently waiting to enter the classroom, all of the Volunteers in the area banded together, jogging off to the office, telling those in line that there has been a delay and mentally supporting the two newcomers. Within minutes the problem was sorted, finished off with a pat on the back and the reassurance that it is all okay.

Early mornings turned into late nights and the day were filled with friendly demands from others such as “Drink more water!” and “You look hungry, go and eat!” The support was invaluable along with the experience, and within the blink of an eye it was all over. Going from a nervous piercer, alone in a massive city not even in my own country, still trying to come to terms with the fact I (over other people) had been gifted this amazing opportunity, to being completely inducted into my new family. I left with my head held high, brain brimming with all of the knowledge I had gained, and a tear for the new friends I would have to leave.

So this goes out to anybody considering applying. Even if you don’t think you stand a chance or even if, for some crazy reason, you think you don’t deserve it, APPLY! There is value in everyone and this whole experience is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. It will completely change your outlook on your professional life as well as your personal one.

 I applied to the scholarship with a day or 2 left before applications closed and didn’t for one second think I would get it, I put it to the back of my mind and figured that if I just forgot about it, I would escape disappointment. Yet here I am now, writing about my experience. I need to finish this with a massive shout out to Caitlin McDiarmid for being Mama Duck to all of us ducklings and the unshakable support and dedication she puts into Conference each year, also to Badur Ramji of PunkMedics for funding my Scholarship as the real life Willy Wonka. You made all my dreams come true and more. Without you, people like me would never have gotten the chance to travel out to Conference. Thank you for your continuous hard work in keeping Rick Frueh’s name alive.  Forever Learning.

DEBBIE MOORE

I remember the day that Caitlin told me I would be going to Las Vegas; there was a blizzard happening in Ireland. Everyone I knew was enjoying and playing in the snow, but     I was so nervous awaiting Caitlin’s call that I could do nothing but sit and anxiously wait. The time came and when Caitlin called she simply said “so… you wanna come to Vegas?”

I was so happy  I  cried  and  replied “yes of course, thank you!” while my Girlfriend danced around our kitchen screaming with excitement! That’s how much it meant to me and my loved ones. To be the second Irish piercer to attend the Conference and be an Al D. Scholar was such a huge honour!

When the day finally came I must admit I had  reservations stepping onto the plane as it was so daunting being in the company of  so many piercers I admire and aspire to. But stepping into that first meeting with everyone clapping and welcoming us and when Caitlin gave me my badge it was such an amazing feeling! Something I’ve wanted for so long was actually happening!

Were the work days long, and was it stressful at times? Yes. But through these stressful long days there was Mama Duck herself, Caitlin, the person that made this possible and the other Volunteers checking that we were ok, that we had food or water, and if we needed rest. We were and are a family! Getting to be a part of this family, taking classes, and meeting legends such as Elayne Angel and Jim Ward made it a life changing experience, one I hope to repeat again next year.

JON SALZAR

I had my Piercer awakening back in 2014 when I attended the Fakir Intensives and learned some very vital information about autoclaves and their effectiveness on luminous objects, why you want quality jewelry with internal threading and much more. I was given a piece of advice, “you need to make it out to Conference,” and decided that was my next goal.

The next few years were spent moving shops to be able to work with quality jewelry and sterilization equipment, so I could ethically stand behind my work and not knowingly cause unnecessary harm to someone. I became an APP Member, then ran into a weird work environment which forced me to take a year sabbatical and figure out if we were going to leave my home town or stay and try to build a better piercing culture for ourselves and our customers. We chose to stay and build a new business with all of its hurdles, but we made it and had the studio meeting environmental standards within the first year. I also wanted to try and make it to Conference this year, seeing as I had missed three years since my time at the Intensives. I felt like I was missing out on my need for continuous learning.

When I applied for the Al D. Scholarship I had no idea that I was going to get it. It was more like a shot in the dark and hope for the best. My partner the whole time kept saying “you got this babe” and I would respond “you never know, it’s anyone’s game.” I am grateful for the time that Caitlin, Cale, and Ryan all put into the selection process. These amazing people volunteer their time so fortunate piercers like me can have an opportunity to learn and grow as an individual.

When Cale called to announce the winners I was stunned and started to freak out because I had admitted to them during interviews  that even with the scholarship I didn’t know if we could afford to get me out to Las Vegas.

We found the money to get a ticket (I should also mention that I work two days a week painting houses and three nights as a bouncer at a bar. I’ll sleep when I’m dead right?) so it was going to happen! I picked my classes and went through the volunteer training online. I freaked out a few times before coming, thinking that this was not happening or “how am I going to be received by these amazing people at Conference?” Then the day came and I reluctantly left my family. I’ve never spent more than four days away from my partner in ten years and that only happened once. I got on the plane and flew out to meet Gus Diamond and Ken Seyler at the airport to split a cab.

My idea of what I was going to get out of this trip was to soak up as much knowledge as I possibly could in the week’s time I was there and to network. I wasn’t sure what networking meant, expected it to be something along that lines of meeting the man that sold me and everyone else their autoclave, Brian Skellie.

I landed and met up with Caitlin to touch base and that’s when it began. I met the sweet Kendra Jane who basically offered me cookies as a greeting and Badur Ramji (the awesome man behind funding a good number of us Scholars to be there in the first place) and from there it just kept on going. I met up with Shorty and John Robberson, fellow Florida piercers, and we ended up taking a valuable tour of the hotel and surrounding area to get a lay of the land and a feel for Vegas. 2 o’clock in the morning rolls around and I’m like “oh man, I have to be at volunteer training so early tomorrow,” so my bad decisions of not wanting to miss out probably started that night (and it had been less than 6 hours.)

In the training meetings I started to meet the enormous team of volunteers that help make Conference happen and started forming friendships and mentors that all truly turned into family by the end. They broke down the walls of that feeling of being the new kid at school and just acted like I’d been part of the class the whole time. Zach Fitzgerald (or loud Al D. Scholar from 2014) was always there to check I had my water and was staying hydrated. Alicia Lowe was always there in the sea of people at the bar having fun, but still looking out for us new people.

It was nice to know that support was just a few steps away with any of the Volunteers and that they had your back in a place so foreign and overwhelming. This comradery was not only shared with the Volunteers though, it was anyone and everyone that had come to attend Conference. No one passes judgment and we all just get along. We are all there for the good of our industry and that truly is what I got from Conference. We are all awkward people and that’s cool, we are also an ever-growing family of piercers and that’s even cooler.

Thank you to everyone that I met and had a chance to connect with, this opportunity felt like a dream, but the connections that I made and the new family that I have at the end of this trip makes me know that it wasn’t a dream at all. Thank you again Caitlin for everything!!! And thank you to my partner for always believing in me and making this happen even though we couldn’t afford it. I can’t wait to introduce you to our new extended family next year.

ZAKK BOYER

As I sit here in the airport surrounded by people with no names and just faces, I can’t help but think back to my amazing week. To those of you who are reading this, remember I am just a message away. You can call on me for any reason and I will do my best to help you.

I can’t thank the following people enough from the bottom of my heart. First and foremost Caitlin McDiarmid; you, ma’am, are the backbone of the APP. I am so proud to say that I was one of your Scholars, one of your ducklings, and now one of your volunteer children. You give the best hugs and have made me feel accepted from the start of the whole process. Badur Ramji, what can I say about this man? He gave me and others one of the best weeks of our lives. If it wasn’t for you I would not have had this opportunity. You, sir, are one of the biggest supporters of this industry  and the APP. You give a ragtag bunch of outcasts an opportunity to grow and succeed. You have given me more fuel to continue my beloved piercing career. I will be forever grateful and in your debt. I will always remember you and what you have done for me and the other Al D. Scholars. Without these two people I would not be writing this today. They are both amazing from the tips of their toes to the tips of their noses and have two of the biggest hearts I have ever encountered.

Moving on to my fellow volunteer family members. There are too many of you to name and thank for showing me so much support and so much love, excitement, encouragement, and for welcoming me into your family with open arms. I have never felt so welcomed and not like an outsider in my life, I love each and every one of you and I cannot wait to see and hug each of you at next year’s Conference. You guys and gals are some of the best people and I know that I will always have you in my corner and hope that you all realize that I am in yours as well.

To my fellow Al D. Scholars of 2018 WE DID IT! We did it and survived. If there was a test, I am sure we all would have passed. You guys are awesome. You’re special. You’re beautiful. And you are all my family. I am glad to have met all you guys and have you in my life. We came, we saw, and we conquered. I am proud to call all of you my friends.

My experience as an Al D. was probably one of the single handed best experiences of my professional piercing career. It was a lot of hard work, but worth every second. We all had breakdowns, but brought each other back up. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to everyone involved with this experience.

The whole week of Conference was such an amazing and surreal experience, from meeting some of the founding Members to the man himself, Jim Ward. This is not an experience that I have taken lightly. It has done so many things for me, from opening doors, to opening my eyes. It has helped me set new amazing goals for myself and my current studio. I had so many highlights, it is really hard to pick one of my favorite moments or people. The friends and family I have made through this experience are mind blowing. Now, being home and back to work, I am getting my feet back under me, and it is time to get to work.

For those of you new and scared of going to Conference, please read these words and know that you can do it. Apply for the scholarship, ask to shadow, ask for help, get critiques, and always remember we are just as scared as you. When you do go to Conference it will change you in the best ways possible and if you see me there, don’t hesitate to come up to me and ask me anything or to introduce you to someone. This is what we all strive for and this is what it’s all about; learning, growing, and being forced out of our comfort zones. YOU CAN DO IT!! To all reading this I leave you with these words. You are awesome. You are beautiful. You are special. And you are important. Do not let anyone take away from what you strive to be, for you may be your own worst enemy, but we are your support and we are here for you.