Are you that student who cut their hair with kitchen scissors when they were little? The one who changes their hair color with every life crisis you go through? Who looks at pictures of nail art and thinks: I can do that.
Cosmetology School may be where you need to enroll. As part of AAPS Career and Technical Education Programs (CTE), Skyline offers enrollment in the Cosmetology Program for students who want to work in the world of hair, skin, and nails after graduation.
Cosmetology is the practice and skill of beautifying hair, skin, or nails. This includes hairstyling, skincare, nail care, and makeup application. The program involves techniques for enhancing a person’s appearance through haircuts, coloring, facials, manicures, pedicures, and other beauty services.
The Cosmetology program takes two years of classroom instruction and 1500 hours of practical experience to graduate.
Students take the program during their junior or senior year. They attend Skyline, Huron, or Pioneer for half a day for academic classes. At lunch, cosmetology students leave and head to the program for the afternoon. The school is in Saline, so most students just drive themselves, but a bus is available to get students there, if needed.
Commitment and motivation are key to success in the Cosmetology program. During the day, students work on theory lessons that instruct how a procedure is performed and practice with mannequins. Lessons and practice change every day, so students are always working on something new. The farther into the program, the more time they are given to spend on “the floor” with real clients or studying for State Board exams.
The requirements for the Cosmetology program don’t end when the school year does.
Students who enter the program as juniors are required to attend the program for six weeks during the summer. Cosmetology students get Mondays off, but the rest of the week is seven-hour work days spent in the program uniform of a black scrub top and pants. During the summer hours, students practice taking clients for haircuts, styling, facials, and manicures/pedicures.
Why would someone want to take on this much work in high school?
Aliana Threlkeld (‘26) says, “I want to do it for my career path. When I was young, I wanted to join cosmetology because making myself beautiful was a huge part in my morning routine, and if I can help others feel beautiful, I will do anything in my power to make them beautiful”
Once students complete the program through Skyline at graduation, they will have the next seven years to sign up for state boards. I recommend trying to complete them as soon as you graduate. Once someone passes their state boards, they will have officially earned their cosmetology license and can begin working and earning money in a salon.
Next steps, if you are interested:
Come by the CET fair on Tuesday, May 13th. 2025 6:00-7:30 PM In the Skyline Commons. They will have all the CET programs, such as cosmetology, homebuilding, auto mechanics, nursing, and much more. There will be booths that you can walk to and get more information about each program.
For a way to get more information, talk to your counselor for the application, or go to the CUBE for more information.
