Spotlight on New Academy of Cosmetic Arts at Wallace State
HANCEVILLE, Ala. – With hardly a moment to celebrate before fall semester began, Wallace State’s cosmetology program moved in to its new Academy of Cosmetic Arts facility and went straight to the business of teaching.
Now celebration of the new space happens daily, said program director Tracy Smith. “We feel as though we are coming to class at a spa every single day. How great is that?”
The new Academy of Cosmetic Arts includes a reception area, 64 hair styling stations, an esthetics room with six reclining stations, a manicure and pedicure room, a large classroom with teleconference capabilities, a locker room and a supply room complete with laundry facilities.
“Wallace State’s Cosmetology program has a rich history and an extensive list of alumni who are successful as stylists or cosmetologists,” said President Vicki Hawsey. “Workforce demands, however, dictated that Wallace State expand its emphasis in the cosmetic arts to include skin and nail care in addition to hair care. Our newly renovated building projects a quality learning environment that is of spa quality so that our graduates will have been exposed to a state-of-the-art workplace as a learning environment. They will have an edge on the competition for high demand jobs because of the breadth of learning experiences at Wallace State.”
Enrollment in this popular program topped 80 students last semester. The program has grown so much in recent years that the old space in the Business Education building had become crowded and in need of an update.
“In the first place we have some of the finest instructors in the state,” said Jimmy Hodges, dean of Wallace State’s technical programs, “and with this cutting edge facility, we’ll draw even more students.”
Smith serves as Region 2 Director for the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC), which covers 16 states, and she has been the District IV representative on the Alabama Board of Cosmetology (ABOC) since 2009.
The Academy of Cosmetic Arts will be featured in the May issue of “American Salon” Magazine.
For more information about the program visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8216.
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Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu