Guest post by Alma Leonardo, TUBC student at our Rockford Campus.
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture… my experience? Let me tell you about that.
It’s been a long, hard, emotional, and very crazy journey. I’ve met a lot of great new people and have made so many new friends that I am excited to take along with me after I graduate. My life and experience here at Tricoci would have not been the same without all these people.
When I first started Tricoci I had no idea that I was going to get so close to so many people. To be honest, I just wanted to go through the program alone without talking or bothering anyone. Just wanted to get my license and be done. But truth is, beauty school isn’t just about hair, makeup, color and nails; it’s also about the relationships you build. It’s about all those emotions that come out at any random moment. It’s about all those times you have to step out of your way to help a friend in need of advice. It’s about being different. Who cares that one girl where’s dark makeup and the other doesn’t wear any at all? Who cares that she has a man’s cut, and she has long gorgeous hair? Who cares that my definition of glamour is different than yours? Who cares that he is gay? That doesn’t change the way he is on the inside. Ya know, one of the reasons I came to beauty school was because here I can be different, I can be whoever I want to be without caring what anyone has to say. I can dance like a crazy person, or sing my heart out, even though my voice isn’t the best, who cares? I came to school for cosmetology not to be the next Beyonce.
Tricoci has changed a lot since I started. From dress code, to assembly in the theory room, to the 920 mark offs that must be completed. But I started to realize that Tricoci was not the only thing that has changed. I realized I have changed too. To some I changed in a bad way to most I have changed in a good way. Either way I love who I have become. I can walk out of Tricoci University with the knowledge I wanted, but also with a personality I never knew I had. When I would walk around the halls being the loudest in the school, I would get yelled at numerous times. I would fuss about how the teachers just hate my personality and how they just want to change the way I am, but that’s not the case. I was talked to by one of the teachers one day about how I need to be a little bit more professional and not be so loud all the time.. at that very moment I thought “Wow, why is she trying to change who I am?” I thought most negative things, until I realized that she is just trying to prepare me for the “REAL” world, as we call it. She actually cared. Because let’s face it, a lot of people love me and how crazy I am but not everyone will be pleased with it, you have to know how to handle all types of attitudes and situations in this industry. Not everyone is going to be as nice as you want them to be.
With that being said my journey at Tricoci University wasn’t that bad now that I think about it. I’m walking out with new friends, a career that I can’t wait to start and an experience that I never even thought of having. Oh and don’t worry I’ll remember all of you when I’m famous.