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Coming home: Two alumni speak to current cosmetology students

2016-03-21
Photo of Sabrina Gunnels demonstrating hair-coloring techniques for SCC students
Sabrina Gunnels (standing), a 2010 graduate of SCC’s cosmetology program, recently returned to the Jackson Campus and gave a presentation to current students. Gunnels is shown here styling the hair of SCC instructor Pamela Ensley.

John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems, once said: “Success unshared is failure.”

By that standard, Sabrina Gunnels and Cynthia Laws are the very definition of successful.

Now national color educators for John Paul Mitchell, the two alumni of Southwestern Community College’s cosmetology program returned to their alma mater earlier this month to give presentations and demonstrations for current students.

“Any success you have, you should pass it on,” said Laws, a 2003 SCC graduate who’s worked at Shear Images in Sylva for almost 15 years. “I’m excited to share my story with the school because this is where it all started for me.”

​Gunnels, who graduated from SCC in 2010, gave a live demonstration on coloring techniques, cutting and styling. She’s gone from stylist to a national educator in less than six years, but she’s got even higher aspirations.

“Within the next two-to-three years I want to be at the next level, which is an international trainer where I get to travel all over the world educating other stylists about John Paul Mitchell systems,” Gunnels said.

Randy McCall, SCC’s cosmetology program coordinator, taught both Gunnels and Laws.

He said current students learned a lot more from the graduates than simply hairstyling and hair-coloring techniques.

“I’m very proud of Sabrina and Cynthia,” McCall said. “We have a ton of graduates that are successful business owners, but we want them to determine what success is by their own definition. By coming back here, these ladies are showing our students that hard work, dedication, and practice can help you shape your path of success.”
 

SCC graduate Cynthia Laws is shown with a cosmetology mannequin she used for a recent demonstration at the college.
A 2003 SCC graduate, Cynthia Laws (standing) recently gave a demonstration for current cosmetology students at the College’s Jackson Campus.

Gunnels’ favorite thing about SCC’s cosmetology program was the hands-on method the instructors used.

“I always loved that any time I needed help, Randy or Debbie (Ray, cosmetology instructor) would always help me and show me how to do a certain thing then would make me follow through with it so the knowledge stuck,” Gunnels said. “The cosmetology program has a very good support system here.”

Laws added: “SCC gave me the basic skills needed to get started and get a jump on your education. For me hairdressing is something you continue to learn. Every year you learn something new, sometimes it’s classical techniques, like finger waves, that you use every day with hair shaping.”

As an essential element of the learning process, students in the cosmetology program offers their services to the public each semester.

For more information, contact McCall at 828.339.4238 or rmccall@southwesterncc.edu.

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