The new Astronomical Transformations salon at Frederick Douglass High School. Photo Credit: Allison M. Slocum and Brianna Mason, APS ©
Frederick Douglass High School recently celebrated the ribbon-cutting of its new cosmetology salon, Astronomical Transformations, marking the launch of a comprehensive career pathway in personal care services.
The program, a Career Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathway, provides students with both foundational knowledge and hands-on experience in cosmetology.
Forrestella Taylor, formerly the principal of Douglass High School and current Douglass cluster superintendent, recognized a need for students to feel confident in their appearance. She noticed many of her students arrived late or skipped class due to concerns about their hair. Initially, the school responded by offering hair care products in faculty spaces and partnering with local barbers to provide free haircuts for students and athletes.
“We saw this as an opportunity to give students a permanent space where they could get haircuts and beauty care throughout the day,” Taylor said. “As we created that space, it ultimately led to what we have today, our cosmetology pathway and lab.”
Students at Douglass High School can now receive haircare services and take courses in cosmetology thanks to the new salon and career pathway in professional care services. Photo credit: Brianna Mason, APS ©
The salon, designed in the school’s signature black and gold Astros colors, will serve as both a classroom and a professional space where students develop technical and soft skills.
The curriculum falls under the state of Georgia’s Healthcare Science-Personal Care Services career program, offering students three core courses: Intro to Personal Care Services, Cosmetology 2, and Cosmetology 3. Students begin their studies at the school’s ninth-grade campus and transition to lab-based training at the main campus. Many graduates are expected to continue their education at two-year colleges to complete the 1,500 hours required for licensure by the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology.
“This is so much more than just cosmetology, so much more than a lab,” Taylor said. “This is truly an opportunity. Our students are gifted in many areas, and not all are interested in going to higher-learning colleges or universities. But what is important to me, formerly as their principal and now as the cluster superintendent, is to make sure that they have viable options, whether they are going to college or are going straight into the workforce.”
Jasmine Shepard is the instructor of the personal care services curriculum at Douglass High School. Photo Credit: Brianna Mason, APS©
Instructor Jasmine Shepard, who has been a cosmetologist for 23 years and an educator for 12, will lead the program with the aspiration to eventually expand it so students can graduate with the hours required to obtain licensure.
“When the students complete the pathway as the program currently stands, they would be able to take those three courses into the technical college system, for example, Atlanta Tech, and that would replace one class at the technical college level,” Shepard said. “I would like to build the program up to eventually allow students to get the clock hours and practical hours needed at the high school level so that they will graduate with their diploma and have the hours needed to sit for their state board of cosmetology license.”
For many students, this program is both an educational opportunity and a skill set that will lend diverse offerings for future income.
“I have some students who are interested in being barbers, lash techs, nail techs, makeup artists, and hairstylists,” Shepard said. “I also have students who don’t necessarily have an interest in the beauty or barbering industry, but I hope they will gain professionalism skills, communication skills, and life skills needed to be successful in any career field they choose to pursue.”
For other students, the program is an opportunity to participate in a family tradition.
Kirstyn Chester, a ninth-grade student at Douglass High School, spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and will take advantage of the personal care services curriculum. Photo credit: Brianna Mason, APS ©
“Cosmetology, beauty, estheticians—all of that has been in my family for a very long time now,” said Kirstyn Chester, a ninth-grade student. “My grandma did it, my mother did it, my sisters do it, and my brother does it as well. It’s really been something that runs in the family. [The cosmetology pathway has] been eye-opening for me, and I want to join in on the work.”
Despite her aspirations to become an attorney, Chester values the opportunity to earn a cosmetology certification alongside her academic pursuits.
“I am working to become a lawyer, so I want to focus on that and go to law school, but I will also have [training as a] cosmetologist under my belt as well,” she said.
The program has garnered significant support from alumni who own salons and return regularly to mentor students.
“This is an example of the legacy of Douglass High School, truly giving back to the school,” Taylor said. “Imagine a world where you leave high school at age 17 or 18, and by the time you’re 19 or 20, you’re in a position where you can work in a salon. This is especially true if you are a dual pathway completer who explores the entrepreneurship pathway that we offer as well. You can begin that work around not just working in but also owning a salon, which is an amazing opportunity for our kids.”
With the launch of the cosmetology salon and pathway, Douglass High School continues expanding its STEAM-focused curriculum, providing students with practical career opportunities that prepare them for higher education and the workforce.
Enjoy the photo recap of Douglass High School’s cosmetology center ribbon-cutting. Photo credit: Allison M. Slocum and Brianna Mason, APS ©