"Wait, we don't have a cosmetology club?” Sophomore Ashley St. Denis asked, turning to Sophomore Delilah Bales.
Bales and St. Denis were sitting in a hot tub with their friends one summer evening, talking about the clubs at SM East.
When they realized none of the clubs focused on anything beauty-related, the idea for a cosmetology club was born.
Since the start of their friendship, St. Denis and Bales have bonded over their shared love and passion for makeup, hair and all things beauty-related.
For Bales and St. Denis, creating the club wouldn't just be a space for students to do hair and makeup — it's about building confidence and creating a community of people who share the same interest in beauty.
The two always knew they wanted to start their own club sometime in high school but never knew what it would be.
“Me and [St. Denis] were trying to think of things that we liked, and then we're like, ‘Wait look at the obvious, we both love doing hair, makeup, nails, all that type of stuff’, ” Bales said.
Even though the two knew turning a summer hot tub idea into a reality would take preparation, time and planning, that didn't stop their drive and dedication to make the club a reality.
And when the girls found they had to get a teacher sponsor to create their club, they knew exactly who to ask — history teacher Andrea Franklin.
“I currently have Ms. Franklin for AP Euro, and Delilah had her last year for World Regionals, so we thought that she could be interested just because she's fun and would be willing to help us,” St. Denis said.
After Franklin got back to them, agreeing to help in an email, the girls were eager to get started and bring their club to life.
Just a week after their first meeting with Franklin in August, where they discussed the focus and other details about the club, the girls were filing out forms and finalizing details, watching their idea slowly become an official school club.
Now, with the club officially up and running, St. Denis and Bales began discussing what members could expect, from hands-on lessons to exploring different areas of cosmetology.
The girls decided they will hold meetings in Ms. Franklin's room once a month, discussing different cosmology topics they'll cover such as hair, nails, and makeup.
“Each meeting, we want it to primarily focus on something different every time,” St. Denis said.
They also say the more broader topics that they cover, such as hair and makeup, will take multiple meetings to discuss.
They will learn all the specific aspects of the topic such as, cutting and dying hair or, mastering the perfect smoky eyeshadow, will take more time.
The girls also plan to bring in local guest speakers from around the area to share their experiences working in the area of cosmetology being discussed at the time.
Along with planning monthly lessons, they’re also planning how they'll fund their projects and meetings such as paying for supplies or snacks.
"It's obvious some stuff will cost money and we're just going to see later down the road, but right now we're also going to try to focus on a lot of activities that don't require money, and just a lot of games and stuff that will get people involved.” Bales said.
While the two are trying to save money right now, the girls aren't letting it slow them down. For now, they're just excited to start building a community and getting many students interested in cosmetology.
Ensuring the club is up and running, steady and consistent, is the girls’ main priority.
The girls also plan to hand out flyers and post on social media hoping to better promote their club.
“We're hoping it'll grow when it really starts to catch on over time and people will hopefully start to hear more about it,” St. Denis said.
With their teamwork and passion St. Denis and Bales hope to turn it into a long-lasting part of their school.
One that helps students feel connected, confident and beautiful.
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