Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/689373
JUNE 8-14, 2016 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Gina Phillips loves to cut hair. "I've found out that I'm just happy with scissors in my hands," said the cos- metology student, who is also a mom and military spouse. Phillips is just finishing her first year in Fayetteville Technical Community College's Continuing Education Cosmetology Program. She said she researched a lot of beauty schools in the area before deciding on FTCC for her education needs. Military spouses like Phillips often struggle with finding a career. A recent study shows that 90 percent of female military spouses (more than 600,000 people) are either unemployed or under-employed. Many have little to no college experience and, due to the transient lifestyle of their spouse, often strug- gle with pursuing an education at a traditional four-year institution. Even with college experience, unemployment rates among military spouses are nearly three times higher than the national average. And because of this, a military wife's average income is 40 percent less than the typical American spouse. That doesn't stop many spouses from planning and pursuing a career, but funding for college is often an issue. With limited money available, many spouses have to take out significant student loans to pay for an education. Phillips, whose husband is stationed at Fort Bragg, said she began attend- ing FTCC because it was so affordable. Many beauty schools charge a signifi- cant amount to earn a degree or license in cosmetology, while FTCC offers an affordable way to pursue a cosmetology career. "I have lots of friends who have attended (beauty school)," said Phillips. "They're still paying off debt years later. I just couldn't see myself going into debt." Affordability does not affect the quality of education that students receive at FTCC. The school features a salon environment that helps students develop skills that range from professional imaging, hair design, chemical processes, skin care, nail care, and other full service salon services. The salon is the per- fect stepping stone to a career in cosmetology. The program has also thoroughly prepared stu- dents for their cosmetology license exam. Last year, 93 percent of FTCC's cosmetology students who took the NC State licensing board exam passed. Though she found the coursework challenging, Phillips said it was also very rewarding. "I thought it was all going to be about hair, nails and color, but we had to learn about anat- omy, common diseases, and how to recognize them," said Phillips. "It was a lot more compli- cated than I had anticipated. It's not like we just cut hair all day. We have homework, just like any other student." Cosmetology did more than develop Phillip's haircutting skills. She said her fellow students really helped her network and develop her pas- sion for cutting hair. Her education also helped her get a weekend job at a salon in Fayetteville. She said FTCC has given her the direction she wants to go with in her cos- metology career. It's also given her a lifestyle that she can take with her, no matter where the military might move her family. "I've found out that I like cutting short hair the most. My husband even lets me practice on him," she said, with a laugh. "I know that will help me, especially since I know I'll be cutting hair in mili- tary towns." Scissors in My Hands by HOPE MYERS Every TUESDAY Morning 8:30am - 9:45am 445 Westwood Shopping Center Meeting to be held at For More Information Contact Keri Dickson 910.584.4121 Keri@UpAndComingWeekly.com Between Us Girls HOPE MYERS, Staff Member, FTCC Public Relations, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 Affordability does not affect the quality of education that students receive at FTCC.