Beauty entrepreneur Cyndi Williams, who has been working in the industry for 17 years, is currently attending the facial specialist/esthetician program at the North Campus of San Jacinto College. She had previously finished the college's eyelash extensions course.
“San Jacinto was the school I had seen produce the best candidates for my businesses. So I had decided that’s where I wanted to go,” said the owner of several beauty salons.
The esthetics lab of the new North Campus Cosmetology and Culinary Center offers the most comprehensive facilities for real-world practice. Inside, students will find reclining chairs, sinks, and back-to-back vanity mirrors and counters with salon chairs for makeup artistry.
Students can collaborate in the lab to choose their themes and create digital portfolios for their final projects.
According to cosmetology professor Oletha Brown, the program's final projects are designed to enable students to put their skills to the test, saying: “We have been working on this project for about two to three weeks, so they will be creating a portfolio, taking pictures, and just having fun. They will be describing the category, why they chose it, and how it coincides with skincare.”
Full-time students can study for two semesters to finish the program, while part-time students can usually finish in three semesters. Students are expected to graduate with a variety of skills to offer their future clients.
This seems to be a suitable fit for students like Williams, who plans to pursue the cosmetology instructor program, saying: “I want to help develop the next generation of cosmetology professionals to excel and set themselves apart from the average graduate.”
“We like to make sure that when they are in the field they are well marketable,” said Brown.