First-year Cosmetology classes practice new skills on one another

The students have started earning work-based learning hours

The first few days in October marked the first time first-year Cosmetology students at the Center for Career Services had an opportunity to practice new skills on their fellow classmates.

For the first few weeks of the school year, the juniors learned how to properly shampoo, condition and blow dry a client’s hair. They had previously practiced on mannequins, but the students broke into pairs and finally had an opportunity to style their classmates’ hair.

“This felt really good,” said Katelynn Castillo, a junior from New Rochelle. “I had the chance to earn more experience working with people, to see what they like and don’t like, and the chance to practice communicating with them as well, which is important. You really have to be able to speak up as a stylist.”

 Communication and customer service are integral lessons, along with perfecting and performing the hair styling techniques themselves.

The students practice what they have already learned on one another, but also on those from outside the classroom. Both earn them work-based learning hours; they are required to work 1,000 hours total between this year and next.

“And when they work with students from other programs, they have to set up appointments,” instructor Yolanda Lopez said. “It’s just like they would do with any client in a salon.”

For these first-year Cosmetology students, the process of honing these valuable skills is officially underway. For some, these recent days marked the first time they had ever washed, dried and styled another person’s hair.

“I really enjoyed it,” Castillo said. “Every day I leave here, I feel like I learned something new.”