PROFILE IN GLAMOUR: MARINELLO SCHOOL OF BEAUTY

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By Miriam Raftery

 

 

 

February 9, 2011 (El Cajon) – Students snip, clip, crimp and primp customers at Marinello School of Beauty in El Cajon—all in preparation for careers in the beauty industry.

 

“This business is recession proof,” said Terrilynnette Minor, director of the school. “There are a lot of things that we all do without, but we’re still going to get our hair done.” Job-seekers still need to look their best—perhaps more than ever, she observed. That’s good news for graduates of Marinello seeking jobs of their own in the beauty business.

 

Started over 100 years ago, Marinello now has a chain of beauty colleges in the U.S., including local campuses in El Cajon and San Diego. In El Cajon, students can choose a full-time, 10 month program or a part-time, 18-month evening program. Upon completion, graduates with good grades and attendance will have their state cosmetology testing fee paid for by the college.

 

“We try to make our students very versatile. When they’re done, we tutor them to make a portfolio, help them with resume writing and interviewing skills,” said Maricello admissions advisor Joanna Golofit. “We have a life-long career assistance program and a jobs hotline.”

 

The El Cajon campus offers instruction in cosmetology as well as a specialty program in esthetics. At San Diego, students can also get specialized instruction in massage therapy and manicures.

 

How much can graduates expect to earn? The answer varies widely. Some start out working at stores such as Supercuts for $8-10 an hour while building up a clientele, then move up to a salon where top stylists can make as much as $2,000 a week, said Minor.
 

The esthetics program takes just seven months. Estheticians may charge up to $60 an hour or more if working at a high-end hotel or medical spa, though it can take time to build up a full-time clientele. In addition to performing basic facials from $10.95, estheticians offer "something for everyone," says esthetician Jennifer Burke.  From “brightening and tightening” Vitamin C facials that produce "instant results" to  pumice peel microdermabrasions, Burke's students complete 600 hours, working four hours a day, five hours a week to comlete the program.
 

 “We have 165 students, including night school,” said Sue Sajona, an instructor in El Cajon.

 

 Tuition for the full program runs $20,000, though federal financial aid can enable students to finance up to 95%. Students can make payments as low as $100 a month and defer payments for six months, making the program more affordable, Minor said.
 

We asked students about their experiences in the program.
 

Some students enroll straight out of high school. Others have been to college or had children and are now seeking a second career, said Diane O'Brian, a teacher at Marinello. "Teaching is nice because we're giving back to the students," she said, adding, "It's a great career because you can do it full time or part time."

 

Samantha Vanvalkenburg, a student, is preparing to graduate. “We started by practicing on doll heads,” she recalled of her freshman days, just ten months ago. “It’s real hair, so you can color them and cut them.” Students must log in 1,000 hours before they are allowed to work on guests including customers from the general public, who can walk in or make appointments for beauty services at heavily discounted prices, such as manicures starting at $7.99, eyebrow waxes from $7, haircut and blow dry from $9.95 (long hair costs extra).

 

“A lot of the girls love doing updos,” she said, adding that wedding parties and prom goers can get updos starting at $22 or twists for $13. A salon updo would run $50-$60 or more, she said.

 Lindsey Haley is a senior in the program. “I want to work as a platform artist,” she said, explaining that she aspires to teach new methods and eventually work as a personal stylist (such as for a Hollywood celebrity). Raised in Manhattan, New York, she formerly worked as a receptionist in an Aveda salon and worked her way up to manager through an apprenticeship due to a “passion to learn,” she said.
 

 One week after enrolling in Marinello, she recalled, “I linked up with another makeup artist. I’ve been doing fashion shows since August…A salon recruited me as part of their design team.” Up soon, she added, “I wil be on the CW morning show on TV with a live five-minute segment. It’s exciting—there are a lot of opportunities, but definitely a lot of hard work has gone into it.”
 

View ECM writer Mary Paulet's first-person account of her "beauty on a budget" total makeover at Marinello's El Cajon campus:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/5442

 

Marinello School of Beauty is located at 841 Arnele Avenue in El Cajon. For more information, call (619)593-0426, or visit http://www.marinello.com/def/programs/marinello.aspx.

 

 


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