Where are they now? Deer Lakes' Anna Yourish

Deer Lakes' Anna Yourish graduated from high school four months ago, but her education is not over yet.

Ms. Yourish is now a Student Teacher in A.W. Beattie's Cosmetology program, which she previously attended to earn her state cosmetology license. She now has the goal of earning a state cosmetology teaching license.

"I am excited for this opportunity because it allows me to see the other side of things and what it's like to be the teacher," Ms. Yourish said. "I am also excited to have another license behind my name allowing another career path opportunity for me."

Ms. Yourish also is working at WildRose HairStudio in Lawrenceville where she assists Shanna Mckaveney, a Beattie graduate who owns and operates the salon. Ms. Yourish also provides services clients.

"My mentors in this industry, whether that was my boss, Shanna, or my instructors here at Beattie, have given me so much to me to help me succeed," Ms. Yourish said. "It feels good to be able to give back to current students."

Ms. Yourish chose to enter the Cosmetology field because she had always been "fascinated" with hair styling.

"When I found out I could have a career in this field it was an easy choice for me," Ms. Yourish said. "I started doing weddings with my boss, assisting, and doing prep work, and after seeing how happy hair could make someone, I knew that’s what I wanted to do!"

She wasn't sure what to expect when she began attending A.W. Beattie.

"Coming from a family where no one is in the hair industry, I was coming into all this very blindly and the instructors were so understanding and patient with not only me but all the students who they were teaching," she said. "Not only did they prepare me with the proper bookwork and theory work to pass my actual state board, but they taught me how to build relationships with all sorts of different people, which is the most important thing in our industry."

Ms. Yourish's long-term goals are to continue to explore the Cosmetology field.

"As a freshly graduated student and a licensed cosmetologist there is so much for me to achieve in the hair industry," she said. "I want to work on continuing to build my clientele and add to the already wonderful clients I already have. And who knows, educating may even be an option for me down the road whether for students or for a product brand line!"