First Cosmetology Students Graduate from Randolph Community College

The first students graduated from Randolph Community College's Cosmetology program on July 29. Six of the seven graduates already have secured jobs and the seventh is in the interviewing stage, according to Tammy Matthews, the program head and instructor who helped develop and implement the program in August 2009.

Dr. Robert Shackleford Jr., RCC president, welcomed the crowd, which included around 40-50 family members, classmates, and friends, plus several RCC faculty and staff members. "It seems like just a short time ago that we held the ribbon-cutting for this facility," Shackleford said. "These students came in here the first day ready to start…now they are going out of here as trained professionals."
Two of the graduates spoke during the brief ceremony. Chastity Wood Elliott of Denton talked about the "lighter side of what we do. We have covered some serious subjects like anatomy and diseases, but we have done a lot of laughing in these walls," she said. She teased and praised each of the cosmetology instructors in turn and described program head Tammy Matthews as "our fearless leader. She started this program with a dream and a lot of love for her profession."

Angela Wood Knestrick of Sophia adopted a more serious tone in her address to her fellow graduates, saying, "I am very passionate about this school and this program." She said in addition to the technical skills they had learned, "they have given us the tools to be exceptional people." She thanked each instructor in turn and talked about each graduate's individual qualities and talents.

Certificates and pins were presented by Matthews and Cosmetology instructors LaTia Robinson, Dianne Orrell, and Dean Brewer. Matthews concluded, "To say I am proud of these students would be an understatement. They have worked very hard, and I have pushed them very hard, and they have responded."

Matthews compared teaching to coaching and said that in this first class, "I had a stacked team," before categorizing the many talents of her "players." She said that the seven graduates have completed over 2,500 hours of client services, over 1,200 haircuts, and over 500 manicures and pedicures. She advised the graduates to "never stop learning, try out new things, and take on the hardest challenges."

In addition to Elliott and Knestrick, other graduates were Toshia Lee Cox of Ramsuer, Heather Austine Craven of Asheboro, Heather Dawn Gray of Seagrove, Jennifer Ann McCollom of Randleman, and Patricia Ann Wilkerson of Pleasant Garden.

These first seven graduates have finished the 1,200 contact hours (34 semester hours of credit) necessary to obtain their Cosmetology certificate from RCC, which makes them eligible to sit for the State Board of Cosmetic Arts exam and obtain an apprentice license. They still must work under a licensed cosmetologist for six months to obtain their full license. Other students in the first class have opted to continue their studies to obtain their diploma, 1,500 contact hours (44 semester hours), or their associate degree (70 semester hours). Graduates with diplomas can obtain their full license once they pass the state exam, with no apprenticeship required. Associate degree graduates are eligible to go on to advanced studies or teach.