Alixas Clark posing for cosmetology portraits. Photo Credits: Alixas Clark
Alyssa Graham, Staff Writer to The Powderhorn
“My grandmother used to be a hairstylist, and she is my idol, so I thought I’d give it a try, and I’m so glad I did!” senior, Alixas Clark, has been taking cosmetology classes through Watauga since her sophomore year and will receive her certification by the end of the semester.
Cosmetology classes are available for enrollment starting your sophomore year and from there you can keep going all the way to advanced studies.
Cos1 is mainly theory bookwork focused but you are also practicing some skills as you go.
“Though you’re hands-on some, it’s definitely not as much as the following years. Things I remember from Cos1 are infection control, nail diseases, and hair theory,” said Clark.
The next step for students is Cos2.
“In Cos2, you are half on the floor (working behind the chair) and half taking theory,” said Clark, “We are practicing skills we learned in the book the following year, and finishing up any more chapters we had not finished prior.”
Now students are ready to finalize their studies.
“In Cos3 (or Advanced Studies) almost every day we are on the floor. Practicing on manikins, working on clients, and getting ready for the State Board,” said Clark.
Clark is planning on testing to get her cosmetology license.
“In order to get your Cosmetology License you must first have 1200 hours to even go to State Board and take the written and physical test. You must get at least a 70 on each to pass," said Clark. "The written test consists of 100 questions containing a variety of cosmetology-related questions, whether that be skin, hair, or nails. The physical test consists of performing a haircut, coloring services, perms, and more on a manikin in front of ‘judges’.”
To get all of those required hours, the cosmetology department holds clinic nights where anyone can book an appointment to get a service done by one of the students.
“We have clinic nights every other Tuesday of the month! You may invite friends and family and book them yourself, or people from the community call our teachers and our teachers will book them with students they consider skilled enough to accommodate that specific client’s request," said Clark. "We begin taking clients at 1pm and until 6 pm on clinic days.”
Clark had tried a few different classes before finding her interest is cosmetology.
“Honestly, my interest in the class kind of came out of the blue. I had taken auto-tech my freshman year, and that class was definitely not for me!!” said Clark.
It is important to explore different classes and interests while in high school, Watauga offers so many classes that aren’t as popular as others and you never know if you will like it until you take the chance and try it out yourself.
“I definitely do recommend this class to others! You get to make people feel beautiful and express your personal creativity. Cosmetology is also a good backup plan for the future. Everyone will always need a haircut!” said Clark.
Exploring and getting out of your comfort zone is crucial to learning and cosmetology is a great way to explore your creativity and play around with different styles.
“I love when we get to work on each other’s hair, you could walk into class with unstyled hair, and walk out with different colored, and freshly washed and styled hair!! I went from having blonde hair to having red hair this past year, and I LOVE the red. We get to bring each other's visions to life, all while creating new bonds and memories that we will remember forever,” said Clark.
Our cosmetology program is wonderful and the teachers want to help you in any way they can to assist with your success.
“For future students, our teachers are great. They hold you to high standards and want the best for you. If you work hard it will teach you important skills in order to become successful,” said Clark.
Clark plans to pursue cosmetology after graduation and continue broadening her skill set.
“I hope to begin assisting in a salon and then eventually start doing hair on my own. It would be a dream of mine to own my own salon in the future,” said Clark.
Taking chances and trying new things are so important and thankfully Alixas tried cosmetology and is now on track to getting her license and beginning a career that she truly enjoys. I am sure our cosmetology program is very proud of how far she has come and we cannot wait to watch her succeed.
Some of Alixas Clark’s work is pictured below:
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