Cosmetology students learn the business at Liberty Tech

As Jackson-Madison County Schools offers various technical classes to help students pursue certain careers while still in high school, the cosmetology class at Liberty Tech recently celebrated 22 students achieving certification for braiding.

According to Lucchiaa Anderson, the instructor for the cosmetology program, the certification is one step in the education process that’s in its first year that she plans to incorporate four semesters of instruction for students who want to become cosmetologists.

“We just started the program this year, so all of our students are in their first year learning how to do hair, nails and skin care and everything involved with that like waxing,” Anderson said. “And the students were able to come in for class, receive instruction similar to what they would get in a cosmetology school training and receive their certificate for free, where the training and certificate usually cost a few hundred dollars.”

Students Brooklyn Cole and Dominique Clark are students who’ve been a part of the program all year. They went through Cosmetology I in the fall and currently going through Cosmetology II.

As Anderson plans to add a third and fourth class next year, both juniors intend to be a part of those before they graduate.

Anderson is the first cosmetology teacher in Jackson after having taught at Fayette-Ware High School the past few years. Cole was a cosmetology student at Fayette-Ware before transferring to Liberty.

“Doing hair and nails is something I’ve done for family, and taking these classes could help me become advanced enough to be able to do this for a job,” Cole said. “So I thought ‘Why wouldn’t I take this if it’s what I probably want to do anyway and it’s a free education?’”

The braiding certification opens up job opportunities already for the students.

“I was already braiding, but with my certification, I can charge more for braiding or apply for jobs with salons as a certified braider,” Clark said.

Anderson said the goal for the advanced classes is to create more “real world” type of experiences for students that would allow them to get on-the-job training while still pursuing their high school education.

“The education in III and IV will be more ‘hands-on’ type of instruction, and I plan to develop partnerships with different businesses in the area – some of which we’re already in talks with – to give them off-campus work opportunities,” Anderson said.

Anderson owns her own salon and also helps them out with the business side of things.

“One thing that she really talks about a lot with us is that if we plan to have our own salon, then we need to be ready for anything,” Cole said. “Someone might come in wanting to do something different with their hair or something, and we need to know about as many different things to do as possible so that we can take care of what that customer wants.”

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news