Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Dalles chronicle. (The Dalles, OR) 1998-2020 | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2020)
TheDallesChronicle.com S P E C I A L Weekend of March 14-15, 2020 A3 S E C T I O N in the company of excellence Real hair mannequin wigs await students. Jim Drake photo “We have a specific instructor for our nail program, we have a hair design instructor and we also have a salon manager who oversees all the services on the floor. They help coordinate all of the services for the day,” Weed said. But the essence of the academy is providing hands-on training for students, and that’s why many service — even some that are available in high-end salons — are available to the public at gorge academy. “An enrolled student is in here answering phones, scheduling appointments and re-booking clients. It’s such a team environment with a very positive c ulture. It’s a real-world experience,” Weed said. Weed mentioned that the academy even has a cosmetology instructor program, a facet of the beauty business that is sometimes overlooked as a career option. “We have one student enrolled and she basically shadows our instructors and she helps write some of the curriculum, and helps to teach some of the classes,” Weed said. On average, it takes three or four months of classes to complete the course hours work at Gorge Academy of Cosmetology, and students still need to pass state licensing requirements. A massage therapy program can require 650 hours and take six months. “We fulfill all the requirements set forth by the state, and we provide a transcript and a certificate of completion of all the hours a student has in their area of work. Then they go down to Salem to take their board exam,” Weed said. According to Weed, the academy is running at a 90 percent graduation rate. She says the school is unique in that it accommodates flexible part-time schedules for students that may be juggling family, work or even other school classes. “We’re more of a boutique school, and being smaller means that I can get involved and really create a livelihood for each student. That’s the most rewarding part for me,” Weed said. “Right now I have a high school student who’s in her senior year going through our nail program. By the end of the summer she’s going to have her nail license and her esthetics license, and our customizable scheduling was a big reason why. We get people in their 20s and 30s, we get people who want to reinvent themselves,” Weed said. Weed said that every service in the salon is provided by a student, and every student is overseen by an instructor. Facials, haircuts and coloring, nail services, eyebrow waxing — it’s all recorded in detail for the state licensing transcripts. “A main aspect of our business is that the services have to be a teaching experience, the state may require 300 nail services or 140 facials if you enroll in the esthetics program. All of these things have to go on your transcript,” Weed said. Weed said that a haircut may take a little longer due to the teaching aspect, but she is impressed with the quality of work she’s experienced. “I got a facial a few weeks ago and was blown away at the level of the student’s expertise. The product that we used was so luxurious and the work was what you would find in a high-end spa,” Weed said. Tackling something like a perm or special coloring can be stressful for first time students, but the support of the teachers and the community seems to make it easier for students at the academy. “You can really get your confidence up when you have an instructor helping you,” Weed said. Weed spoke of one of her original students, who was 16 years old when she started at the academy. After getting her license, she made a trip to New York City and took a hair-cutting class. She got to talking to the salon owner, and the owner was so impressed with her work that he offered her a job. “It’s really amazing that she can be a hairdresser in New York City. That’s one of my great success stories. It’s like you can do anything if you set your mind to it,” Weed said. Of course, there are some challenges to running a beauty academy. But Weed says that each student, to her, represents a person that needs to be respected and not judged. “Sometimes it’s kind of like a sorority house in here,” Weed said. “But you have to find a way to get along. You have no idea what is behind those eyes and what their story is. We run as a team here.” Gorge Academy of Cosmetology 422 E. 2nd Street, The Dalles, OR 97058 Book Services 541-769-1144 Enrollment Info 541-362-4247 GorgeAcademy@gmail.com LIFE HAS ITS STRESSES. Worrying about your vehicle shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why Gills Point S Tire & Auto - The Dalles is your one stop shop for everything tire and service related. Jon Robertson STORE MANAGER Quality Service You Can Trust. Tires · alignments · repair · brakes · oil change · wheels (541) 298-5121 1116 W 2nd St, The Dalles GillsPointSTire.com