As the course selection for next year is wrapping up, students have come to grips with what classes they are interested in taking for the 2017-2018 school year. A number of students hope to lock in their spots in Cosmetology, one of the many academy classes offered here at Falls Church.  Cosmetology is one of the few classes in which students are transported to George Marshall High School to attend the class. Students ride in shuttle buses to get to Marshall High School. The buses leave Falls Church at 12:50 P.M. and return back to school around 2:25 P.M. every day.

The class offered at George Marshall takes place in two rooms. There is a lab room for students to do hands-on activities and a theory room, in which classwork is completed. For safety purposes, cosmetology students have to wear closed-toes shoes, aren’t allowed to eat in the theory room, and need to sanitize their stations daily.

Across-the-board, the units covered in the class make beauty the focal point. They include hairstyling, haircutting, shampooing, conditioning, pin curls, blow-drying, and laundry. All throughout the year, students get visits from clients during class so that they can add to their e-portfolios.

Cosmetology students carry around kits that are ideal for all sorts of things beauty-related. Kits include robes, blow driers, mannequins, round combs, thin brushes, curling irons, etc. A special part about the course is that on Fridays, the class has what they like to call “Free Fridays”. On a “Free Friday”, students are allowed to do whatever they want to do that is on the curriculum for the class, whether it’s doing hairstyles on one another or cutting each other’s hair.

In order to receive a cosmetology license, it is required that students pass both Cosmetology 1 and Cosmetology 2. Cosmetology 1 focuses on hair use, treatment, and cuttery. Cosmetology 2 enforces how to properly treat skin care, makeup, nails, and waxing. “I want to get my cosmetology license so that I can work at a hail or nail salon,” says Kelly Rodriguez (11). Many people interested hope to take the class so that they can gain work experience for when they have to apply for jobs in the future. “I recommend taking the class. It’s so much fun, especially when you have people to share the experience with! It is a great class where you can bounce off of each other’s ideas,” agreed all the students in Cosmetology 1.