As with any school, choosing a cosmetology school can be pretty nerve wracking. One must decide which school best fits their wants and needs without ever taking a single class; which school can meet the needs of their personality, time and wallet.

Each school is very different, they have different curriculum, benchmarks, missions, hour requirements, etc. There are many things to take into consideration and it can be overwhelming. It’s very difficult to choose a school simply from a little research online and a quick tour, but often that’s all there is. That being said, many people choose a school and later find out it wasn’t right for them.

As for me, I had toured one school and I was satisfied and honestly had no intentions of ever checking out another one; after much persuasion from my father, however, I decided I would tour Aveda just for good measure.

While talking to the admissions adviser, I made it pretty clear I wasn’t looking to attend Aveda, I was simply touring to appease my father. Even so, she still went through the interview papers and gave me the grand tour, the whole shebang. As she was giving me the tour, I started to realize that this didn’t feel the same as the other school did, it had this energy to it that really appealed to me.

By the end of the tour, I was completely hooked and I knew I had made a huge mistake. I apologized to my admissions adviser for not taking the interview process seriously and explained to her that I never planned on falling in love with the school like I did. She didn’t have time to redo the interview but she told me she liked my honesty and would put in a good word.

I have now been in school for about three and a half months and I still adore it. Things happen each and every day that make me fall in love with the school a little more. The instructors are all amazing people and I come home every day being so thankful to even know them, none the less be able to learn from them. The curriculum is fantastic, it really gives you time to learn before throwing you out on the floor but gives you the ability to practice your skills on people you know first to make you comfortable. The products are incredible, the way they are displayed, packaged and grouped makes them easy to use and explain. They are also made from natural ingredients which is great to be able to tell a guest. It’s a lot easier to sell products when you trust that they are actually made from good things and not just chemicals.

A few other things I love about the school are just little quirks. I love that we have a bulletin board in our break room for hair puns, it always makes my day to read them. I love that our school has formed a student counsel to make a better connection between the administration and the students. I love that we are now starting a “Big scissor/little scissor” program to help connect the different phases so that we can all mentor each other. I love that we are taught to give every guest a “Ritual of Renewal” to help them to relax even if it’s just for a few minutes. I also love that for “wellness” we go mannequin bowling, dance or watch cute videos just to make us feel good.

My favorite thing about Aveda is that above learning about hair or selling products, it’s about making everybody who walks out the door, students, staff or guests, feel good about what they are doing. We aren’t just in this for vanity or to make money, but to make people look good and feel good. To really connect with our guests and make sure we give them what they want without destroying the environment.

There were many beauty schools I could’ve chosen from but for the rest of my life, I will be thankful that I chose Aveda because I will always have this to look back and be proud of.

Blog post by Aveda Institute Jacksonville student: Rae Ethridge