Shelby Alverson

Hey everyone! My name is Shelby Alverson. I am a Cosmo student at Gene Juarez Academy - South (Federal Way). I’ve wanted to be a cosmetologist before I even knew it was called that. I remember being maybe 10 or 11 years old and dying my hair for the first time with my friends in their basement bathroom. I remember the orange foil package and being so excited to have different hair, truth be told, we didn’t know what we were doing, I ended up with stained skin and a hair color that was no different than when we started. Even though it wasn’t the outcome I was expecting, my passion for all things color began! Luckily, my parents were super lax about me coloring my hair and since about age 13, I don’t think there’s been a time that I have had all natural hair! I’ve had everything from blackest black (box dye, I know, I cringe too thinking back), to lots of different vivids, “natural” reds and blondes. Being in the Salon is one of my all time favorite things, there’s just something about walking in with, usually, messy hair, sitting in that chair and just relaxing while you transform that gives me the best feeling. So, why wouldn’t I want to give that feeling to others?! It took me a long time to pull the trigger on cosmetology school. Unfortunately, the industry hasn’t always been as respected as it is now and I was always given the impression that it is not a true career and more of a fun hobby. Thankfully, that was all proven wrong and it has become a booming industry! I wish I would’ve jumped into this so much sooner in life, but they say “hindsight is 2020”. So here I am now, they also say “better late than never”. I can’t wait to help people achieve their hair goals and dreams and give them those salon feelings of relaxation, confidence and joy! XO, Shelby