We are thrilled to announce we will be hosting a Cosmetology School Open House at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill on June 26th, 2013. All potential and prospective students are invited to learn more about what our Cosmetology and Esthiology programs have to offer!

At our beauty school, the salon is your classroom. You will receive invaluable, hands-on experience while providing services to a trendy and diverse clientele. When you graduate from our Cosmetology or Esthiology program, you’ll be prepared for a profitable and fulfilling career in the beauty industry.

Aveda is long recognized as the leader in the beauty industry through it’s products, salons and cosmetology schools. The Aveda culture promotes care for both the client and the environment. This history of uncompromising values and high end education and services makes the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill the perfect choice for you to begin your career! With more than 6,500 salons and spas in the nation, the Aveda network will provide great opportunities for employment.

DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 2013
TIME: 6:00p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION: 200 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

To RSVP: http://www.avedainstitutechapelhill.com/cosmetology-school-open-house/

Please call 919.869.8039 with any questions.

We’re thrilled to share the 1st in a series of blog posts written by our Art of Beauty Scholarship Winner, Cassie Belcher! She’ll be blogging over the next few months to share her experiences with you as she navigates through our Cosmetology program at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill! Without further ado, Cassie Belcher …

Today is our second to last day in Enlightenment 1 (or e1 as it is called here at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill) and it seems like time has flown by.  I can remember our first day as if it was yesterday…

I stressed out about what to wear. You’ll soon find out that I tend to stress over the silly little things and take on the major pressure situations without the bat of an eye.  After I spent what felt like half of my life picking out the perfect outfit, I finish getting ready and head out the door to school.

“This is the first day of the rest of your life,” I tell myself. Then I thought, “Oh holy crap, what am I doing? Who knows if you’ll even be good at this…”

Typical.  I’m not the type to take risks. We’ve talked about that already. Now look at me, jumping ship and starting something so new, so ‘not-Cassie-like’ that it’s scary.  If it’s something worth doing, it’s going to make you nervous. In my case, if it’s worth doing it makes me so nervous I’m physically ill.  So here I am, sitting in the retail area at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill — a full 30 minutes early, and I’m about to vom all over myself.  Now I wait…

Everyone arrives and we’re shown to our classroom that will be our new home for the next 5 weeks and meet our teacher.  She has a big smile and a great energy about her.  I can tell that she is just as excited as we are.  The day goes by and we meet all of the professional team, instructors and administrators. I won’t spoil the surprise of what you’ll do, though. Your experience won’t be the same.  I’ll just give you a few bits of advice to get you through it:

1.  Be open minded. You will be thrown into the mix with a lot of people with even more personality.  Get to know them    and learn to love them for who they are.

2. Study. You will have between 1 and 3 tests a week.

3. Remember why you are here and never forget that.

4. Don’t get frustrated. You’re here to learn. You WILL make mistakes. Embrace them.

5. Wear socks! (Just trust me on this one)

Good luck as you start your adventure here at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill.  I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can.  And if you’re still on the fence about changing careers or starting cosmetology school right out of high school, do it!  Rock that boat and set sail on your own course. I absolutely do not regret it.

See you soon!

-C

p.s. kit day is the best day of your life!

We’re so excited to show you some of the amazing work that our students did on our models for the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill’s Earth Jam Fashion Night Benefit. The creativity and talent of our students continues to amaze us every day!

Courage.

On New Year’s Day, my husband posed a challenged to everyone he knew. “This year,” he wrote, “have the courage to do something that scares you. Something you have always wanted to do and see where that takes you.”

I’ve always been a person who makes safe decisions. I never take risks. I never rock the boat. I follow the plan. So after high school, I did what I thought I should do – I went to college. After 4 years, I still had no idea what I wanted out of my life. I didn’t want to work in an office. I didn’t want to teach. With an English major, those were really my only options, so I went to work at a retail store. It was fast-paced, and I excelled quickly. I enjoyed helping people find themselves through clothes. They could feel better about themselves, because when you look good, you feel good.

I followed the plan. I was in retail for 8 years. I worked my way up from a full-time sales person to an assistant manager in my first store. Every day I looked forward to helping another person feel better about who they were, but management wasn’t where I wanted to be. When we moved to North Carolina I thought I might have a chance to find what I truly loved doing, but instead I played it safe. I stayed with the company and transferred to a bigger store with more opportunities for growth.

“Don’t rock the boat, Cassie. Stay the course, Cassie. This is what you’re good at…”

Six years, and no growth. More responsibility, yes, but no growth. Was this really the right thing for me? I started thinking back on my life and the things that made me the happiest. Were there things that I could do that would fulfill me creatively and keep me satisfied? And then it hit me …

“Cassie, will you do my hair?”

I could stand behind a chair all day. Curl, tease, braid. I’m a whiz with a bobby pin and some hairspray. Throughout high school and college, I was the go-to-girl for all of my friends. And I loved it. It didn’t matter that I was the last one to get ready with the least amount of time to make it happen. Everyone else looked beautiful.

I had the privilege of doing a dear friend’s hair for her wedding day. I was behind a chair for hours and was in heaven. Not only did I style her hair, but all of her bridesmaids then wanted their hair done as well. I was overwhelmed with happiness. That’s when I knew.

I’m following a dream. I’m rocking the boat. I’m taking a risk. I’m making anew plan for myself. For the first time, I have the courage to do something that excites and scares me. This contest is a huge test. I only know what I’ve taught myself. If anything, I’ll be proud of myself for having the courage to try. Once I have the amazing education that I know I’ll be receiving from the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill, I’ll be able to help people feel beautiful again, and this scholarship could go a long way towards making my dream a reality. A hairstyle you can see every day – an outfit, you eventually have to change out of.

- Cassie Belcher, 2013 Aveda Institute Chapel Hill – Art of Beauty Scholarship Winner

Take a look at some of our favorite photos of our students in action from the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill’s Earth Jam 2013 Fashion Night Benefit! Proceeds from this event go towards amazing causes through the organization, Triangle Land Conservancy which helps to clean water, protect the local wildlife habitat and to keep local farms and food in the community.

Beauty = A Fit for Different Lifestyles

Beauty offers a number of diverse career path options as well as the ability to mold your career to fit different lifestyles and goals! Depending on your goals for the future, you can follow any number of career paths in the beauty industry. What is most important to you? Are you motivated by the ability to earn as much money as you want or do you want the flexibility to work part-time so you can pursue your other interests and talents? Do you want to collaborate with other professionals in a team environment or do you want to follow your entrepreneurial instincts and go into business for yourself? The choices are yours to make, and the possibilities are endless. Now you’ll hear from 2 beauty professionals, and you’ll see how the choices they made shaped their stories:

The Mom, Kate: “After several years of working full-time as a stylist, Kate was proud of the fact that she was able to support herself and purchase her own home. Now that she and her husband are expecting their second child, she values the flexibility that this career offers. She was able to share a shift with another stylists and cut back on her hours, so she could spend more time with her growing family while still keeping her career moving forward.”

The Entrepreneur, Jackie: “For as long as she can remember, Jackie has wanted to own her own business. After working several years as a stylist, then educational director at a local salon, she approached the retiring owner about purchasing the salon. With a small business loan, she expanded the operation, and now her salon is a leading business in the community. Now, she’s fostering rewarding careers for other beauty professionals.”

*People profiles from *modernsalonmedia.magcloud.com

Who would have thought getting a pie thrown in your face could be so fun? At the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill, we’ve been trying to come up with creative ways to earn money for our Earth Month partner, Triangle Land Conservancy. A couple of weeks ago, our wonderful Student Council members came up with a silly idea for a fundraiser – a donation campaign for the chance to “pie” some of our favorite staffers!

Over the past month, Student Council members collected loose change from other students, hosted a bake sale and set up donation jars for a number of staff members who were brave enough to take on the “pie” challenge. After the fundraising ended, the 3 staff members who’s jar collected the most money got “pied” by our graduating students outside the school! Delicious chocolate pudding topped with sweet whipped cream was dumped, slopped, and smothered all over the smiling faces of one instructor, one counselor, and one guest services member. The students gathered around taking pictures as our outgoing grads enjoyed the pleasure of “pie-ing“ the staff members who ended up raising $160 for Earth Month.

Our amazing staff members were then treated to a relaxing mini facial and shampoo style as a reward for their great sportsmanship. At the end of the day, Aveda is all about wellness and making people smile. That’s exactly what our students did with their Pie In the Face Fundraiser – it was a great day at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill!

On April 14, we were honored to hold our first, Art of Beauty Scholarship Contest! Six scholarship applicants arrived at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill, styling tools in hand, ready to compete for the chance to win $10,000 toward their education in our Cosmetology Program!

The applicants had the opportunity to demonstrate their natural talent by styling hair and makeup on a model of their choice over a 2 hour time period. The contest was judged by Aveda Institute Chapel Hill Owner and President, Patrick Thompson, Aveda Institute Chapel Hill Director of Admissions, Jill Powell and nationally known, Hauns Korpela, Artistic/Education Director at Scott J Salon Spas in New York City.

Our judges had a tough decision to make, as the talent of ALL the scholarship applicants blew them away! After much deliberation, our judges decided to award the scholarship to Cassie Belcher, during our Earth Jam Fashion Night Benefit on April 16!

Check out before and after photos of Cassie’s model below, and check back soon for an interview with Art of Beauty Scholarship winner, Cassie Belcher!

Beauty = Exciting Choices

Beauty can take you anywhere – consider it your license to grow! A cosmetology license is your ticket to any number of thrilling destinations – it’s a simple matter of choosing which path YOU want to follow. A cosmetology license opens the doors to many exciting industries and careers, including: fashion, advertising, film, education and business. You’ll be introduced to and work with a diverse group of artistic professionals like fashion designers, photographers, models, actors and beauty product manufacturers. You can help collaborate on cutting edge projects or simply make a beautiful difference in the lives of ordinary people you touch every day. The possibilities are endless: professional hair or makeup artist, beauty sales rep, beauty industry professional, entrepreneur … So, what are you waiting for?

Here are just a few of the upcoming exciting and unique ways our students are changing the world with beauty:

Beauty for the Earth: On April 22, the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill will hold its annual “Beauty for the Earth” fundraising event, during which guests will receive complimentary services. Students will provide haircuts, makeup applications, express facials, polish changes and stress relieving treatments to guests free of charge. Students hope to raise donations for Triangle Land Conservancy, to help with the protection of clean water – a basic human right that 900 million people fight for daily.

Global Cut-A-Thon: On April 22, the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill will also participate in Aveda’s Global Cut-A-Thon. Aveda stylists worldwide from Tokyo, to Sydney, Moscow, London, New York and Toronto – will volunteer their time to offer free haircuts in return for a donation to their Earth Month fundraising campaigns. Our students will help to achieve Aveda’s goal of setting a Guinness World Record for the most money raised for charity by haircuts in a 24-hour period!

Earth Jam Fashion Night Benefit: Aveda Institute Chapel Hill staff and students will come together with nationally known Hauns Korpela, Guest Artist & Educational Director for Scott J Salons and Spas of New York City, to showcase avant-garde hairstyling and fashion at the 2013 Earth Jam Fashion Night Benefit. It’s an exciting event where more than 500 people who love fashion come together in celebration of Earth Day 2013! Guests are treated to a fun experience and a look inside the world of fashion as our students demonstrate their amazing design skills and abilities!

With Earth Month activities and fundraising well underway, our students and staff at the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill have been looking for creative ways to get involved. Last week, our Student Council members surprised the student body with an “Earth Warrior” Flash Mob. The rehearsed Flash Mob sparked excitement with students on campus during our weekly morning meeting.

Here’s the inside story on how they pulled it off:

Student Council members came in to school before the sun came up to get “glamified,” warrior style! Using blue and green face paint, the students created a bold war paint look. They had a potluck breakfast, jammed out to rockin’ beats and styled their hair and makeup for over 2 hours.

Just as the student body gathered together to hear the weekly announcements, Student Council members hit the lights and blasted music. Participants came from all directions, weaving and stomping it out on the salon floor. Spectators’ feedback was incredible – they loved the hair and makeup, the music was exciting and the dance was really fun and unique! Student Council members told us they relished the opportunity to work as a team to show our students a small preview of what they can expect from our upcoming Earth Jam Fashion Show!

The festivities continued throughout the day – students had the option to pay $1 to have their faces painted like our Student Council Warriors. All proceeds were contributed to our Tip for a Cause: Triangle Land Conservancy. The Student Council Flash Mob was a complete success and a fun way of giving our students and campus extra spirit for the day!