We love hearing from our students! We were happy to connect with Alexis Kelty, who graduated from our cosmetology program in April 2021! If you’re thinking about beauty school, check out Kelty’s story and see for yourself if beauty school could be for you!

Meet Kelty

Alexis goes by Kelty, and she is an absolute treat! She just graduated from our cosmetology program in April, and we are so excited to hear about her experience at our school, where she is after finishing school, and what her plans are for her future.

Something unique about her is that she LOVES styling her hair in a variety of different colors. It’s not uncommon if you see her with a different hair color every few weeks! She also loves working with people, which is absolutely essential for beauty professionals.

She has been dyeing her hair fun colors since she was 13, and her parents often took her to a beauty school for it. She also loved doing wild and fun makeup looks, but no one ever told her that she could do makeup artistry as a career.

Why Beauty School?

When we asked Kelty why she chose beauty school, she told us the story about how she went to another college in the Oklahoma area. What she quickly discovered is that it wasn’t for her. She needed a more hands-on approach to learning, more doing, less bookwork. It just didn’t work. So, she took a break, and she wanted to find something that she would enjoy.

Then, someone she knew (who went to Broken Arrow Beauty College), asked, “Hey, I know you like to do your hair, you like to do your nails, what about cosmetology school?” And, she had never thought about it before! She had never imagined that she would be doing hair.

That was the start of her journey, so she started looking into beauty schools in the area, taking a tour, and finding the right fit.

When she started, she couldn’t believe how much it was the right path for her! She told us how she often struggled in high school, didn’t score the best on tests, but when she started beauty school, her instructors would never have guessed. Kelty said she would often stay late to work on homework or additional work because she loved it so much!

Why Choose Broken Arrow Beauty College?

We asked her what went into her decision of picking a school, and she told us a lot about how the people were a big part of the decision. While there were other big names in the area like Paul Mitchell, they weren’t for her as they felt too corporate.

Instead, she wanted to find a place that she belonged, with people she resonated with, and people she was confident she could fit in with. She loved the first people she met, and she really loved the building and all their equipment, and the student life. These were all factors that really tied into that decision.

Plus, with the books and PivotPoint she was confident that she could stay on track with her education.

Her Favorite Experiences at Beauty School

She really loved color, especially with her own look, so one of her favorite things to learn was providing clients with the same experiences with color. It really inspired her to do even more with it! And what she loved about Broken Arrow Beauty College is that her instructors broke it down in an easy-to-understand way. They talked about color theory, how to achieve certain looks, and little tips and tricks, like how long to leave toner in hair.

She shared with us the good and the bad, and talked a lot about how she learned that some guests won’t like you, no matter what you do, but she learned how to accept that and still provide an amazing experience. Although, most guests are awesome to work with!.

One of her favorite memories was about a guest who quickly became a regular who specifically requested her each week for 7-8 months while she was in school. This guest came in every week for a blow dry and she always wore her outfit of a color and she would match her hair bow to her outfit.

She would get a blow dry and put her hair into a ponytail with that bow. One time, Kelty decided to braid her hair with that bow, and that guest was confused, because no one had ever styled it after the blow dry. But, the guest LOVED IT!

That guest then came weekly for a new style all the way until graduation, and there were tears when it was time for her to graduate. This guest became like Kelty’s family! We love when people can make that connection with their guests, even during school.

Advice for Future Students

Her biggest advice for future students was to put your whole effort into it and go for it!

“Get as much as you can because they will give you the knowledge you seek. If you put in the time, you will get everything back and more.”

Kelty had a hard time keeping her grades up in high school and college. But, it was a big difference when she went to beauty school. She would often stay late and get her homework done, and her instructors were shocked that Kelty said she struggled in high school because she was such a passionate student.

So, Kelty told us to tell future students, “Even if you had a hard time in high school or college,” her advice is, “If you’re interested in it, DO IT.” She never imagined herself doing hair three years ago, but she doesn’t regret it. She feels that if you’re even remotely interested in beauty school:

“TRY IT!”

Something else important for students is that you don’t have to be an expert in hair before you enroll. When she went into beauty school, Kelty knew the bare bones.

A lot of the tips that she learned through beauty school, like how to hold your scissors, how long to leave in toner, were what stood out to her the most. She loved the big building blocks, but she loved how each instructor had their own specialties and ways of teaching, which meant she had a whole team she could turn to for advice.

Where Can You Find Her?

We were so happy to hear that Kelty became an intern and receptionist at a local salon in the area! She had a friend who worked at a salon, and she offhandedly mentioned she was looking for a salon job, and that friend mentioned they needed someone at the front desk, housekeeping, and other tasks.

They didn’t have an open position that matched her school schedule when she first interviewed while in school, but a month later, they said they had a spot open and reached back out to her! And she started interning just a few weeks after finishing beauty school.

You can find her booking appointments and interning at Ihloff salon and spa. We love seeing our students find and start doing what they love! Kelty loves her job, she gets along with all of her workers and clients, and she’s spending half of her time as an intern, half as a receptionist, and she really loves being a receptionist as it gives her an inside look at how much work it takes to manage a full schedule.

Goals for Her Future

Kelty says her goals for the future are to find a stable career that she feels comfortable in, most likely in a local salon! While she doesn’t want to own her own business, she’s excited and hopeful that she can find a flexible career that works with her to do what she loves while finding that perfect work/life balance that makes it possible to work and choose to go on vacations and breaks on occasion.

Is Beauty School Right for You?

If, like Kelty, you realize that a traditional college experience isn’t right for you, consider scheduling a tour at Broken Arrow Beauty College! We’d love to help you pursue your dreams in hair, skincare, makeup, and much more! During the tour, you can see what it’s like at our school, meet instructors and students, explore our programs, and learn how to get started!