The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all aspects of life, but especially education. Being a student at any institution––university, trade school or high school––is tough. With little free time, it can be hard to find the space to breathe in between classes, plus an international pandemic only adds stress to this equation.
A few weeks ago, I interviewed an opera student about what going to music school looks like during a pandemic, and today, we’re continuing our conversation on nontraditional paths of education. Gabby, a recent cosmetology school grad, shares her story about taking a less conventional path of education, one she could not be more thrilled with.
“I chose to go to cosmetology school because I have always had a passion for styling hair,” Gabby said. “I’ve had an interest in cosmetology for as long as I can remember and so when I finally was at the age to start thinking of careers, I couldn’t just ignore my eagerness to learn more about what I love doing.”
Gabby prioritized her passion over a traditional college experience, but her educational journey did not start out with hair in mind. She attended a college preparatory high school and felt pressured to attend business school instead of cosmetology school.
“At first, I attended Temple University [in Philadelphia] for a semester in hopes that I would obtain a business degree after four years and then move onto cosmetology school,” she said. She soon realized that going to a university for four years was not the path she was meant to be on––she actually didn’t even have to be on it in order to pursue her dreams.
“Not only did I realize that I was not interested in the business aspect of school whatsoever, but I also discovered that college was not at all required for my career path.”
After her first semester of freshman year, she made the choice to enroll at the Jean Madeline Aveda Institute where she’d learn how to style hair instead of sitting in a lecture hall all day. The process of becoming a certified hair stylist is not an easy one. In order to graduate, all students must complete 1250 hours of training and study for their boards in order to receive their licenses. The first few months of schooling is spent in the classroom going over curriculum so students are prepared to work on their mannequins, and eventually real clients. According to Gabby, students work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m and must be “available to take any client that walks through the door.” On top of that pressure, the pandemic interrupted her education, too.
“I intended on completing my 1250 hours by the middle of June 2020, but the pandemic caused the institute to close from mid-March to mid-July,” she said. The school gave everyone the chance to catch up on their hours when it reopened in the summer. And of course many precautions were taken to ensure the safety of all students and clients. Gabby was finally able to graduate in September, and already has work lined up at a salon.
“The typical expectation for those who have completed their required 1250 hours of education is to be an assistant first!” she said. “The time you learn the most about hair is working as an assistant!” Her post-grad plans are to learn more and to study for her boards in hopes of receiving her license.
She has always loved doing her friends’ and family’s hair and now is excited to share her talents with the rest of the world.
“I have always looked at hair as an escape from real life,” she said. “I had no idea that as I would grow up, my interest in styling would grow into something much more than a hobby.”
Although Gabby felt pressured to attend college and graduate with a business degree, she is so happy she decided to put her passion first.
“I definitely enjoyed spending time at Temple with my lifelong friends and had a lot of hesitation before officially leaving, but I would not change anything for the world. Although I cannot relate to any of the college-like discussions and issues the rest of my friends are experiencing, I have found a group of people in the cosmetology industry that are just as passionate about cosmetology as I am,” she said. “I intend on pursuing cosmetology for the rest of my life and I do not plan on changing anything about that anytime soon.”