Grand Opening of RCC Cosmetology Center Set for Nov. 5

ASHEBORO (October 23, 2009)

Randolph Community College Cosmetology student Gina McLaughlin works on one of five mannequin heads she has been training on since August. Each student starts with five mannequins and adds more each semester. The RCC Cosmetology Center opens to the public on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The 18 students who began cosmetology classes at the Randolph Community College Cosmetology Center in August are ready to begin serving customers for haircuts, shampoos and styling, permanents, hair coloring, manicures, pedicures, waxing, and facials. The Center will begin taking walk-in clients on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The public is invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony before the grand opening, beginning at 9 a.m. on Nov. 5. The brief ceremony will include remarks by various RCC dignitaries and a couple of Cosmetology students. One of the students will then give the "first haircut" to RCC President Bob Shackleford. Light refreshments will be available. The public can take a self-tour of the facility and enter a drawing for various door prizes.

"The students have done a lot of cuts," said Tammy Matthews, Cosmetology program head and instructor, of the preparation the students have been going through for the past several months. "We started cutting on the third day. We also started coloring early." Matthews said each student starts out with five mannequin heads to practice on, and they get new mannequins each semester. That is important, noted Matthews, to allow them to become comfortable with the process and to try new things. "Even I continue to get new mannequins for when I want to try a new technique." The students have also had a lot of practice on family members and each other. "I have a great group of students," said Matthews. "They have learned a lot in a short period of time."

And some of those students have had at least a little bit of experience. Student Angela Knestrick of Asheboro, who is married with a 6-year-old daughter, was attending Asheboro Beauty School when she became pregnant and had to drop out. "As soon as I heard about the RCC program, I fought tooth and nail to get in," said Knestrick. She did not have her high school diploma or GED, which is required for the program, so she quickly enrolled in RCC's GED program. She completed the GED orientation, attended a few classes, and then passed her GED Tests, all in a span of two weeks. "I even had to drive to Raleigh to get my transcript so I could enroll in the Cosmetology program. I was the very last person accepted," she said. Knestrick said she has been practicing on family members on the weekends and "can't wait to see who comes in the door (on Nov. 5)."

Jennifer McCollom of Randleman, who is a member of a union of make-up artists who do makeup for films and commercials, decided to diversify her skills after North Carolina lost a lot of filmmaking business to neighboring states. "I'm nervous, but excited," she said about the Nov. 5 opening. "It will be great to actually do haircuts on clients other than the students." McCollom studied film makeup at the Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts in Los Angeles. McCollom said she fell in love with theater early on and has worked on several films, including the HBO mini-series "John Adams." She feels that adding cosmetology to her skills will make her more marketable to the film industry and for the wedding industry, because many brides want someone to do hair and makeup.

The 6,000-square-foot Cosmetology Center, located in Hillside Shopping Center at 1003 S. Fayetteville Street, will accommodate 36 students at a time at styling stations on the floor, plus students in two classrooms. A second class of Cosmetology students will enroll in January. The Center holds 10 shampoo stations, 12 dryers, a waxing room, and a manicure/pedicure area.

Students will serve clients on a walk-in basis from 9 a.m.-12 noon, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and from 8:15-11:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Senior Appreciation Day is Thursday; all services are one-half price. Prices range from $5 for a simple haircut, to $30 for an initial bleach. Permanent waves range from $18 to $30. The cost is $5 for a manicure and $10 for a pedicure. A full price list is available on RCC's Web Site at www.randolph.edu/cosmetology/.