By Monique Larkin
By Monique Larkin
Students gathered in tents, blankets, and lawn chairs as they waited for the 90 available spots in the upcoming night and day RCC Cosmetology program enrollment that was to take place Oct.3.
Aimee Crawford, who had arrived the night before the line-up was to take place and who was first in line, said that she enjoyed being around people and enjoyed doing other people’s hair.
“I am ready to fully commit to this program and I am a big people person,” Crawford said.
Robin Aparico, who had also arrived the night before the line-up was to take place, said that she had always doing hair and nails, and how she was excited to be a part of the RCC Cosmetology program.
“I always like to do hair, not on me, but everyone else,” said Aparico. “It has always been a dream of mine to become a cosmetologist and I am ready to fully commit to this program.”
Sarah Gardiner, another student waiting in the RCC Cosmetology line-up, said that she always wanted to become a cosmetologist because she wanted to make people’s day.
“I just enjoy making people look better–helping those in need,” Gardiner said.
The RCC Cosmetology program has an extraordinarly high 98 percent passing rate for students at the state board. The RCC Cosmetology staff of 35 instructors possesses extensive professional experience and training to share with cosmetology students.
RCC Cosmetology helps prepare its students in the most sufficient of ways such as videotape, scientific hair analysis equipment, facial machine for skin care, a divisional cosmetology library, competition hairstyling training, state of the art equipment, product lines that are used in professional salons and one-on-one instruction.
Students like Kelli Vigorito, said that they wanted to further their dreams after getting their cosmetology license at RCC.
“I had a lot of other options to choose from besides cosmetology, but it has been one of the things that I always wanted to do,” Vigorito said. “I do want to go to UCR after receiving my (cosmetology) license and get my business degree.”
Rodger Warren, director of RCC Cosmetology, said that during the next enrollment season for the Cosmetology program, the program will accept applications from students and hold a lottery for so all the students will have to do is mail in their application, instead of them having to participate in a line-up.
“This way would be easier for the students and so things don’t get out of hand, and they don’t have to line up and wait to get into the program so soon,” Warren said.
Warren said that RCC’s Cosmetology program is the best one to come to because it isn’t just beauty school.
“We are a tried and true program. We have strict rules which provide a good learning environment. This isn’t just beauty school, it’s a cosmetology school at a community college,” Warren said.
Warren said that the RCC Cosmetology program has the lowest attrition rate because the program takes a lot of dedication and commitment from its students and teachers.
“If you stood in that line, you better be committed,” Warren said. “We have an excellent staff- there is nothing in this industry that can’t be taught by our teachers.”
Daisy Delgado, a freshman RCC cosmetology student, said how much she enjoys the program because of how many friends she has made and because of her teachers.
“We have excellent teachers with a lot of patience,” Delgado said. “You can see how much they really want you to learn; like Mr. Warren, he will take the time to re-teach anything so that you always learn the right way to do things and he will go out of his way in doing it.”
Linda Darling, a part-time cosmetology instructor, said that she is always amazed of how fast her students learn.
“My students are great. They are always surprised at how much work it really is and how fast they have to learn everything in the first 9 weeks of the program,” Darling said. “We have to get them out of their old habits of being ‘kitchen beauticians’ and get them to learn the right way of how to do hair.”
RCC will be accepting applications March 1, for August 2005 classes for full and part-time students, students who are interested in doing manicures and pedicures and students who would like to become estheticians.
