Blog post by Aveda Institute Jacksonville student: Brielle Roorda

I was a student in Intro during the first open house/customer appreciation event back in the fall. My job was simple: to walk around and assist guests with making appointments and directing them to the mini services we were offering that day.

A woman was standing in line with her 2 children and a baby on her hip. She looked slightly stressed and as I caught her eye, she gave me that tired mother look that only another mother knows.

I greeted her and her children and asked if there was anything I could do to help. She began talking and we chatted for quite a while, sharing stories of children, talking about Aveda services, etc.

The more we talked and laughed, the more comfortable she became, especially when I kept engaging the children in our conversation as well. As she drew closer to the front of the line, I left to do other things. However, in the next 10 minutes I glanced back and saw that she still hadn’t gotten her appointment and her children were growing restless and she was on the verge of a breakdown.

I quickly grabbed my educator Ms. Carrie and asked if I could have permission to help this woman. She nodded and just said “Go, do what you can.” I walked back to the woman and very quietly asked if she trusted me to take her children and give them a make-up application…..she nodded quickly and I took the 2 little girls hands and walked them away to be given a “princess makeover’ while their mom waited to make an appoinment.

We stayed in her line of sight the entrie time, so she knew that her daughters were safe and when she was finished she joined us. I walked her to the front desk and as she was checking out with the products she needed, she turned and hugged me and I saw tears in her eyes. She thanked me for rescuing her and said if i had not helped her out she would have just left. Never have I felt so good and so useful. This woman and her daughters thought I helped them – but instead it was just the other way around – they helped me, helped me realize that Aveda is the place I want to be!