Shears and thermal curlers are the favorite beauty tools of senior Rhiannon Archer. This is Rhiannon’s second year in JTED with a focus in cosmetology. She spends four hours every day after school learning about different aspects of the beauty world, ranging from skincare, haircare, nail care, and more.

The willful senior has been artistic since childhood, having her art displayed in her elementary school year book. Now, she draws inspiration from sites like Instagram and Pinterest, putting her own twist on beautician ideas. “The first year was really hard due to Covid. Since it was all online, it was mostly memorization instead of practicals,” said Rhiannon. “It made students feel almost hopeless, but I mean, the way that they teach it, they make it fun and they make it easy to understand.” As a visual learner, Rhiannon was happy to find that her instructors found ways to help all students process what was being taught during online learning.

Throughout her childhood, Rhiannon’s peers weren’t always kind, bullying her as she struggled with having acne and confidence in her appearance. “I’ve always had issues with oily hair or perfect imperfections… and just the idea of cosmetology in general, and going in and making people feel comfortable with themselves gives me a sense of serotonin. I can make others feel how I’ve always wanted to feel.” She says that the program helped her build confidence in both herself and her abilities.

Rhiannon claims that her favorite part of the program is haircutting. “It’s difficult, but it’s fun.” JTED has their own salon to practice on outside visitors, however it has been closed due to Covid over the last several months. It is unclear when the salon will open, but Rhiannon is looking forward to the possibility of testing her ideas on clients.

Rhiannon will take the State Board test to receive her cosmetology license at the end of the school year. “When I look towards my future career as a cosmetologist, I definitely feel like this program is helping me get closer to that dream.” When asked where she sees herself in 5-10 years, Rhiannon gave the perfect response of “I don’t know exactly where I see myself, I just know that whatever I’m doing, I’m going to be good at it.”