3-year cosmetology program gives aspiring beauticians a head start on a career
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Inside Thomas Edison High School, keeping up with the latest trends could land you an "A" in class.
At the start of the school year, the school proudly reopened its Beauty at Edison salon suite.
Hairstylist Veronica Nunez has been teaching cosmetology for more than 20 years. She descends from a long line of beauticians.
"That includes adding hair, braiding without hair," Nunez said. "My mother was stellar at doing updos. My cousin... was the Edward Scissorhands of the '80s."
Now Nunez is passing that same passion down to her students.
"It's something about giving my students everything that I have I learned," she said. "Giving back to the community, it's rewarding."
Wakisha Bailey: So how do your students get graded in this class?
Nunez: So, I normally give the students an MPG form, and that's a mannequin practical guide. And what that consists of is a list of hairstyles we have gone through in class and how many of them they can complete.
Beauty at Edison is a three-year program and each student must complete close to 1,300 hours before taking the state board examinations to get their certification in cosmetology.
Junior Saniyah Morris hopes to one day make her clients feel special.
"I just feel like you see people you want to be role models," Morris said. "I like making people feel confident in themselves."
Beyond hair, some students are specializing in nail designs and skin care, but most are looking forward to one day working in a salon like Nunez.
"Social media portrays you must look a certain way. I think it's important to instill to our youth that it's not just about what you see," Nunez said.
