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Chasing the Dream: Jennifer’s Journey into Cosmetology at Tricoci University

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Description

In this inspiring episode of the Day Makers podcast, host Daved Dolce sits down with Jennifer, a passionate cosmetology student from Tricoci University’s Elgin campus. From experimenting with hair and makeup as a teenager to making the bold leap into professional training, Jennifer shares her heartfelt story of discovering her calling in the beauty industry. Whether you’re a current student, a beauty enthusiast, or someone exploring creative career paths, Jennifer’s journey will leave you feeling motivated and empowered.

 

Find Jennifer on Social Media: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyssbeauty/

Show Notes

– Jennifer introduces herself as a student in the Cosmetology program at Tricoci University’s Elgin location.

– She shares how a childhood love of makeup and styling her own hair inspired her passion for the beauty industry.

– Jennifer talks about experimenting with dye and different hairstyles as a teenager, which helped her realize her future path.

– Host Daved Dolce and Jennifer discuss how her visit to Tricoci, along with a friend, led her to confidently enroll after a fun, hands-on campus tour.

– A motivating conversation about following your instincts, finding the right learning environment, and pursuing your dreams in cosmetology.

 

Links: 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/_RQ3QCE9pZc

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yFHXvtyDLWgBzwRrFXrQf?si=e18d6e45080b4a0a

 

Transcript: 

We are here to make people

feel good about themselves.

We really have to feel like we

are a day maker for the guest.

You’ve made my day.

How great is that when you hear

those words from your guest.

Hey, everybody, I’m David

Dolce, and welcome

to the Day Makers podcast.

Today I’m interviewing one

of our current students, Jennifer.

How are you today?

I’m good.

How are you?

You good?

Start off by telling us

what campus are you from?

I’m from Elgin.

Very cool.

And then what program are you taking?

I’m cosmetology.

Excellent.

So what made you choose cosmetology?

So since from a young age,

I really like doing hair,

doing makeup, mostly makeup.

But then I, at the age

of 15, I started actually

enjoying doing my own hair.

I would dye it.

I would like do different hairstyles.

And then from there I just been

really interested in doing hair.

I mean, your makeup is flawless.

Thank you.

Beautiful.

I love it.

So, yeah, I’ve been practicing for so

long and I always knew I wanted to

keep going eventually in the future.

Very cool.

So you’re one of those people that

you’ve just known, this is what you

want to do your whole life, and here

you are chasing your dreams.

So why Tracochi?

Did you look?

There’s a couple schools in lg.

Yeah, there is a lot.

But I was going to Huntley during

that time and my friends were

interested in the same thing as

me, so they were checking out

schools around the area and they

were like, hey, you should come

with me to Trochi.

I’m like, yeah, I’m like, I’m down

to go like, see new schools.

Cuz like, we were like our

senior year just trying to figure

out where to go and stuff.

And I went to go visit for like,

for more information and stuff.

Like, we both went, we asked

her questions and everything.

And like, they let us play a little

bit like with the mannequin heads.

And I’m like, okay, yeah,

this is where I want to go.

Cuz, like, I was so happy, like, just

trying out new things,

asking a lot of questions.

I’m like, yeah, like, this

is something I want to do.

And I really enjoyed

being there that day.

So I was just like, yeah, this is

the school I want to go to later.

Did you start with friends?

Yeah, I did start off with my friend.

She.

She wasn’t.

She was confused if she wanted

to do cosmetology or esthetician.

So I was just like, no, I knew

I wanted to do cosmetology.

And she just Went

to the esthetician side, so me

and her went to the together.

We still had a friend there.

Yes, I do still have a friend there.

When we first started off,

so I wasn’t as nervous.

So you went straight

after high school?

Yeah, I went straight right into it.

And you are preparing yourself

for a career quicker

than so many other people.

It’s awesome.

So what did you see differently

at Tricoci University

than maybe at some of the other

schools that you checked out?

Yeah, I did check out other

schools, like, farther.

I.

It’s obviously like, the drive,

so I didn’t really.

Well, that’s you.

And like, the way, like, the other

schools I went to, they

wouldn’t, like, ask me, like, oh,

like, how did you enjoy this?

How do you, like, you know,

asking me more personal questions

about myself, about, like,

why I wanted to do it.

Meanwhile, when I went to try

Tricoci, they were like,

oh, like, you should do this.

Like, oh, you should try it out.

Like, giving me advice and asking

if, like, I was like, yeah,

like, they’re helping me out,

so maybe I should go here.

Because it’s like they were telling

me what, like, things I liked.

And then compared to the other

schools, they were just not

communicating with me as much.

More of a personal experience.

And then I’m assuming.

Did you have Gabe as your

admissions advisor?

Yeah, I did.

Yeah, I know.

I was.

I like talking to him because

he’s so, like, talkative and so

I like talking to him and I’m

like, okay, yeah, like, the

people around here are super

nice and so, like, they’re so

fun to be around.

So I was like, yeah, I’ll

definitely be going here more

than any other schools.

I liked it.

That’s another reason why I like

hanging out at that campus.

I just enjoy the staff.

Yeah.

It’s wonderful.

Ms.

Val, we did teacher

training together.

Yes.

So I’ve known her forever.

And actually Ms.

Carla was our educator.

Really?

Isn’t that crazy?

Yeah, that is crazy.

Like, 10 years ago.

So 10 years later, this

is where we’re all at.

It’s nuts.

And, yeah, they’re all

at Elgin together.

Yeah.

What is a typical day

in your life look like?

Because you’re in school for

a good chunk of the day, right?

Yeah.

So apart from going to school

from, like 9 to 5

on during the week, I do work.

It’s just a 5 to 10.

It’s a quick little.

I work at a gym, so

it’s like, it’s easy.

So I.

From here to.

From the school, I go

straight to the gym.

I’m there for a couple hours.

It’s just really easy.

And then afterwards, I just go home,

do my own thing, like, homework.

If I have class on that day or if

not, like, I would just get

myself prepared for the next day

because I would have to go to

school afterwards and go to work

again.

Yeah, right.

That’s, like, the whole

circle of it all.

It sounds like you’re

managing it pretty well.

Do you have any difficulty

sometimes managing work, school,

personal life, homework?

Sometimes, yes.

But, like, I knew from

the beginning, since I.

I went right away to school.

School, like, cosmetology school

from high school, I already knew

what I was getting myself into.

I’m like, okay, I’m gonna make

myself my own, like, schedule,

have everything prepared and see,

like, if, like, it matches.

If I think it’s gonna work

for me, I’m like, yeah,

I went straight to it.

I’m like, yeah, it’s.

It is hard, but, like, if you

keep maintaining the schedule,

like, for me, it works.

I mean, for everyone, it’s different.

But, like, I have my own

schedule, and I like it.

That’s good.

Yeah.

You sound like you’re

managing it super well.

Yeah, I love it.

Has any member of the faculty

really influenced.

Changed you in some type

of way while being a student?

So I have a teacher, Ms.

J.

So in the beginning, I had this

other teacher, but she already left.

I really enjoyed her.

She was in my.

What was it?

Essentials.

Essential, yeah, my essentials class.

She helped me out a lot.

I really.

I’m glad because I’m a very shy,

nervous person in the beginning.

But then, like, she got me out

of my show, and it helped me out,

get into my advanced class.

And Ms.

J is very, like, outgoing person

I’ve met, and she helped me.

Like, she’s always been there

for me, like, helping me out if

I really need it, because she’s

really good with, like, braiding

and, like, sculpting your

hair, like, stuff like that.

And, like, I was so bad

at it in the beginning.

I was like, yeah, Ms.

J.

Like, thank you for helping.

I’m so much better at it.

And, like, she’s always, like, helped

me out if I needed questions.

I love it.

It sounds beautiful.

It’s so special talking

to you about these educators,

because I do know them.

And I’m like, oh, Ms.

J.

So if you could go back to day number

one, what would you tell yourself

to prepare yourself better for this

journ journey that you’re on?

What I would have done differently is

told Myself not to be too shy about

it or, like, just be more confident.

Because I was such a shy,

nervous person in the beginning.

I was like, I don’t know if I’m

like, if I’m gonna get along with

these people or, like, anything.

Like, any little thing.

What are you talking.

Yeah.

I don’t know.

I was just so shy in the beginning.

But after going in that day,

like, everyone’s super nice.

The teachers were super sweet to me.

I was like, yeah, I don’t get

why I was so shy, nervous.

If, like, these people

around me are so helpful.

I was just, okay, maybe I

should just stop being so,

like, negative about it.

And so I started, like, being more

confident talking to these people.

And I’m like, okay, that

helped me out so much.

That’s so cool.

Yeah.

But I wish I knew better because,

like, in the beginning, I was.

I wouldn’t talk to people.

Like, it was hard

to me to talk to them.

But now I’m like, oh, like,

hey, like, I know you.

Like, how are you?

And stuff like that.

Yeah, Yeah.

I mean, artists, we’re all wild.

We all have different personalities.

So you don’t get that in high school.

So coming straight out of high

school and being around all

these different age people.

Right.

All these people with different

personalities that are kind

of bold and out there,

that was an experience in itself.

Right.

So I always like to ask two students,

how important is attendance?

Very important.

Yeah.

Like, you go, you miss

one day, you’re, like,

missing a lot of stuff.

I’m like, oh, my God, we went

through so much this day,

and I got to, like, the next day,

I’m like, okay, I got to catch

up and do all of this.

But, like, it’s like, you learn a lot

of stuff at the same time.

If you.

If you obviously do go, you’re

going to learn new things.

And then every day is

just a learning process.

Like, new things every day.

Great.

Yep.

And you gotta miss a day.

You just tack a day.

Yeah.

To the end of it.

Right.

And nobody wants to do that.

You want to graduate and get out.

So when did you realize that

you actually had the power

to make somebody else’s

day in this industry?

So I really didn’t think

anything about it at first.

I was just really okay.

I like, I like getting myself ready.

I didn’t think other people

would feel that same way until,

like, the first day of class.

We were talking about how

people feel, like, ex.

Asking them personal questions

about their hair.

I’m like, oh, so, like,

people really do like,

knowing more about their hair.

No.

Like, I didn’t know other people

actually care about their hair more.

Like, as other.

You know, like, as me.

Yeah.

Like, I didn’t think they would.

And, like, I’m just like, okay.

So I would have to ask people

questions about their hair,

about how they feel about it,

because I didn’t know that.

Obviously, it makes a big impact

to them until, like, I got

into the floor and started actually

trying, like, these things

on people, and they would be

so happy about the results.

I’m like, oh, my God.

Like, people actually enjoy seeing,

like, new things done to them.

And, like, it’s just really fun

seeing that because, like, I’m able

to change their appearance into good

things if they really wanted to.

So.

Yeah.

How does it feel to know that what

you’re doing behind the chair

for them, that they leave and they

take this home with them?

Sometimes I get nervous because,

yeah, I’m still practicing, but I.

It always ends up being still good.

Like, obviously, you’re learning,

but at the same time, it feels good

seeing your final product and be

like, oh, my God, it actually came

out so good, and they love it.

And I’m like, okay.

Then they get to show off

to other people how they

feel and how they look.

So I love that they’re going home,

they’re smiling, they’re happy, all

that good stuff, and then all that

good customer service and everything

that you are presenting.

Like, you said, you didn’t

realize that you had the power

to make somebody’s day.

Do you see how important it is

to actually be that person

and how that’s going

to help you maintain a clientele.

Right.

And people coming back to you.

I do know one good thing they do

at Elgin before we end the podcast,

is you guys really do the Vitality

Project well at that campus.

I want to know if you think

the Vitality Project changed the way

that you look at things

or if you find that resourceful.

For people like us that are listening

to people’s problems all day,

we need to learn to manage stress.

Right.

It’s a wellness program

for our students.

How has that impacted you at all?

It has impacted me a lot because

obviously, I was such a person,

like, to myself, and getting.

Obviously, that helped me get out

more out there and getting to

know people more for who they

are and stuff, and obviously

communicating with them about

how they feel, who they are and

all of that.

And, like, obviously that has helped

me to become more of a better

person to talk to these people.

And obviously with my

customer service, too.

When I’m doing their

hair, I want to be there.

And if they need anything,

I’ll explain to them.

Or if they need something

from me, I’ll, like, try.

I love it.

Well, you’re going far.

When’s your graduation date?

Ish.

Right?

In October, actually, this year.

Really?

Yeah.

Okay.

So around in October, I should.

Well, you’ll see me around more.

Definitely.

And I really look forward to watching

your journey through Jacochi

and seeing what you do after.

Thank you so, so much

for being with us today.

I know you are shy, but I think

you did great with us today.

Thank you.

Yeah, we’ll see you soon.

All right, then.

We’ll see you soon then.

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