Cosmetology and esthetician students have real life experiences to provide real services from Monday through Friday to clients from outside and from school for a reasonable price compared to expensive salon treatments.

This empowers the students to learn the basis of what will occur out in the field of cosmetology.

Students train an entire year before advancing to the level of working for the department.

Several services include haircuts, manicures, waxing and facials.

Roxanne Mitchell is a client from outside of Cerritos College who has been coming to get to get beautified by cosmetology students for over 10 years.

“It’s only five dollars for a haircut, but besides that, the students are learning the latest techniques, so I’m not getting the same haircut all the time.

“The facials are wonderful. I fall asleep almost every time. They do a really good job of cleaning your skin,” Mitchell said.

Cosmetology major Jordin Christen mentioned that working with real clients, “is a lot better [practicing with them] than using doll heads.

“It’s fun because you get to taste a little of what you are going to be doing [in this career],” Christen continued.

From all of her time working for the department, Christen hasn’t experienced any complaints by a client.

“Hopefully that’s how it will stay,” Christen said.

Cosmetology major Jenevieve Bergdorf said, “[In lectures] we learn about sanitation, bacteria, the anatomy [of the body], skin, muscles and the bone structure.

“It’s a very elaborate course and our instructors are phenomenal.”

Bergdorf also mentioned that because the instructors are really experienced in the cosmetology field, “We get a first-hand education into what it entails for us later to be able to find employment.”

The reason that Berdorf feels that beauty inspired students should take cosmetology courses at Cerritos is because it prepares students for the possibility of working at a salon, the film industry or even in theatre.

Cosmetology instructor Pat Novinski has worked for the cosmetology department since 1982.

“I have had students go on to work for Vidal Sassoon and a lot have gone off to work at Beverly Hills,” Novinski said.

There is also a Cosmetology Club that is part of the department.

The Cosmetology Department is located on the second floor [room 202] of the Health Science Building