Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007
Jackie Littleford said she usually only trusts her daughter to work on her hair. But Littleford let her guard down last week to high-school student Najee Flint when it was clear he knew his craft.
Flint, 18, is one of about 20 students who on Dec. 12 worked with clients at the Edison Salon, operated by cosmetology students at Thomas Edison High School of Technology in Wheaton. Interages, a nonprofit that aims to create relationships between generations and cultures, arranged the salon visit for some members of the county’s adult day care centers and residents of a nursing home.
As he cut and straightened 50-year-old Littleford’s short hair, Flint said working on actual customers was important in order for students to practice and get feedback.
‘‘When you see their expression after you’re done and they are happy, it makes me feel good,” he said.
Each year, the program teaches about 120 students about hair, nails and skin, and administrators hope the salon will give students the experience needed for their license and confidence to work in the real world.
‘‘It’s definitely very important to learn how to handle different people,” said Brenda Barbari, an Edison cosmetology teacher. The salon serves clients of all ages.
Students from all county public high schools can take classes at Edison, which also offers vocational programs in media, health, hospitality, construction and automobile technology and body repair.
The Edison cosmetology students, who work in a three-year program, have to complete 1,500 hours of classroom work to be licensed, as required by the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists, and must pass a board exam. Many students are able to gain up to 300 of those hours as interns or apprentices in commercial salons.
Most clients pay a low fee, but all the money goes back to the program to buy supplies or help students pay for their board exams.
Seniors also have to create business plans focusing on customer service. ‘‘I always tell students, if you have a bad attitude ... it doesn’t matter what kind of skills you have,” Barbari said.
Jessica Torres, 16, in her second year in the program, said she would like to make a name for herself in the fashion and hair industry. Torres said her experience with the Edison Salon would help.
‘‘Before I get to the real world, I’ll have more experience with all ages,” she said. ‘‘I won’t be as nervous.”
The program has been attracting more applicants each year, Barbari said, in part because students are able to receive training for the cost of a course fee and supplies (about $370 for the cosmetology program) compared to the thousands they would have to pay to learn the skills at a private cosmetology school, Barbari said.
During last week’s salon visit, Maria Morales, 85, said she liked what Torres was doing with her hair. Torres was trimming Morales’ gray, curly locks so they sat comfortably above her shoulders.
Morales said she comes to the Edison Salon for her haircuts because students are attentive and do a good job.
‘‘They really take care of me,” she said through a translator.
Barbari said she really has not experienced a time when a student has really ruined someone’s haircut or color, but if they have trouble with a hairstyle, she and other experienced students are always there to help.
Barbari, who said she paid for much of her college tuition by doing hair, emphasizes that fact to students. Barbari said former students are making anywhere from $40,000 a year to $150,000 a year. She said salaries increase as professionals become more specialized.
Open for business
Edison Salon haircuts start at $5 and shape-ups start at $2. Appointments may be made for the 8 a.m. class or the 11 a.m. class. Students also can do color treatments, nails, hair removal and permanent waves, curls or relaxers. Call 301-929-2196.
