Stefani Garzelloni, Sahuaro junior, races to her car, not to go home like the rest of us, but to achieve her dream career.  Stefani takes Cosmetology classes through the JTED program. Her class is Monday through Friday 4pm-7:30 at the Camino Seco campus, Cutting Class. Her uniform is black pants or leggings, white shoes, a solid white, black, or gray shirt, a black smock and their ID badge.

So far this year the class has covered sanitation, nail diseases and disorders, manis and pedis, braiding, properties of the hair and scalp, skin diseases and disorders, scalp and head messages, shampooing and finger waves. When asking Stefani what her favorite part of the class is she replied, “I like meeting new people and learning the anatomy of every thing is pretty cool!”

She wants to pursue cosmetology as a career because her aunt is a hair dresser and she is a big inspiration to her. Stefani joined the program due to it being a great opportunity for her to jumpstart her career. “It’s a lot harder than it seems and it takes a lot of time so you have to be fully committed,” said Stefani.

During the learning process, they often bring in models or practice on each other. After the course, as long as you have up to 1600 hours completed in the classroom, you are eligible to take the test in Phoenix to get your license. Stefani states, “After I get my license I want to start my internship at Gadabout Salon.”

Cosmetology school in Arizona can cost anywhere from $5,000-$10,000, but this course is free!  Cosmetology is a 2- year program; first year you learn basics and second year you learn more advanced techniques. You learn how to apply for jobs and other life skills. It’s a fun learning environment and a great way to learn skills that you will apply in the work force.