WCJC Cosmetology instructors on cutting edge of fashion trade
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com
Conditioning & Heating Service Regardless of the subject, classroom instructors are expected to be ahead of their students when it comes to the material being covered.

Staff photo by Barry Halvorson Wharton County Junior College Cosmetology Instructors, from left, Jacqueline Brinlee, Joshann Gonzalez and Marlene Kolafa recently attended a seminar at the award-winning Redken Exchange in New York City.

In the Wharton County Junior College Cosmetology Department, instructors Jacqueline Brinlee, Joshann Gonzalez and Marlene Kolafa are well ahead of not only their students' fashion curve, but on the cutting edge of all fashions after recently attending the awardwinning Redken Exchange in New York City March 9-12. They attended three days of hands-on workshops learning three new cuts and three new coloring techniques they will be adding to the curriculum.

"Redken is one of the oldest product lines for hair care and personal grooming," Brinlee said. "And the Redken Exchange is their training school. The best stylists from the most exclusive salons attend the Exchange. It is the Mecca for hair care training."

The WCJC trio were unique in their attendance in that they were the only cosmetology instructors attending the Exchange seminar.

"A lot of the people were shocked by that," Kolafa said. "They were impressed we were going the extra mile to attend seminars like this to gain exposure to the new trends."

Kolafa added the styles they were learning in New York are the styles the fashion conscious will be wearing - in a couple of months. "Actually, this put us ahead of the upcoming trends," she said. The three instructors try to attend two to three trade shows or seminars per year, but an opportunity to attend the Redken Exchange comes along only rarely.

"It's an expensive proposition," Kolafa said. "We couldn't have taken this trip without the help of a lot of people. Jeanene Merka, a retired WCJC professor, gave us a private donation to cover some of the expenses and then WCJC helped cover the rest of the cost of the trip. I think it's a demonstration of the college's and its supporters' interest in offering the students the best possible education we can make available."

While the stylists attending the seminar were looking for personal profit, those benefiting most will actually be the WCJC Cosmetology students, a point of pride among the three instructors.

"Our students have a great reputation for being more ready than most graduates of these programs," Gonzalez said. "A lot of the people in the industry, including some of the leading salons from the region specifi- cally call us for students."

Among the advantages the instructors can give their students with this kind of training is an edge when entering the job market.

"With styles and cuts like these, our students can demonstrate cuts and techniques that are up to date," Brinlee said.

The current knowledge also helps boost the students' confidence, which can be an important factor as their career develops.

"There is a certain artistic flair that comes with this profession," Kolafa said. "But you still have to work hard at it, which is something I stress to my students. Hard work, practice and continuing education can mean the difference between making $15,000 a year and making $200,000."

Brinlee added many of the program's former students will come back and share their success with both the instructors and the new classes. Gonzalez said she is also inspired by her former students.

"We've run across them at some of the trade shows and they're up there on the stage doing great," she said. "I get emotional when I see that and get that 'That's my baby doing that so well,' moment. And they'll see us and come and want to know how they did. They want our approval still because we develop such a good relationship with many of our students."

All three women admitted to there being a "WOW" factor in attending the seminar in New York. They said the Exchange is located on the second floor of a Fifth Street address with wide windows opening up on the busy streets. But when it got down to time to get things done, they had a pleasant realization.

"Actually, the most satisfying moment of the whole trip was when we realized our skills are still at the top," Brinlee said. "The others are all professionals, but we're not behind the chair every day and our skills were still on par with those who are doing it on a daily basis."