Hayleigh Van Loan

In 2019 I felt myself begin to question why I was doing this. Why did I want to do this? My cosmetology school had a very low graduation rate and I was watching my friends slowly disappear from school overtime whether they changed their minds or had just had enough of it and those who stayed were only doing it because it was something to do and never ended up getting their licenses. 

I received an opportunity to attend Caper which was a Paul Mitchell ran convention for students of Paul Mitchell schools across the country. I was excited to go because it was LA and I was halfway through my program and what I really wanted was a break from school and break from the girls I was surrounded by. On the last day of the convention they had beauty professionals give motivational speeches and a speech made by Tabitha Coffey stood out to me. She was talking about her why, her why she does this, her why in life and why it's important to have a why. During her speech she spoke of her childhood and bullying and I could feel myself relating to her and her experiences as she continued to speak. Even more so now that I am a beauty professional do I think back to that and remind myself of my why.

That is why I'm here. Why? Because if there's something that I can do in 2-8 hours behind the chair working on someone's hair that makes their day better or can change how they feel about themselves then I'm going to do it. Why I want to educate? Because I spent so much time as salons that lacked it and have walled away from classes that didn't ignite a spark in me and I want to ignite that spark for another beauty professiona.