"I got to see that being a stylist isn't just about creativity and skill, it's also about business. To make it now as a stylist you need to know that so you can open doors and grow."
Each year, hundreds of cosmetology students from across North America compete for a coveted spot in the PBA Beacon program. Only 100 of the best-and-brightest students are chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime career-changing opportunity. Winners sit side by side with top industry professionals at PBA Symposium, attend PBA Symposium General Sessions and specially designed Beacon Breakout Tracks. This year, Beacon students also get the chance to attend the 20th Annual North American Hairstyling Awards!
Past Winners Talk about Success after Beacon
Beacon began in 2001 and has seen more than 600 students.
"I got to see that being a stylist isn't just about creativity and skill, it's also about business. To make it now as a stylist you need to know that so you can open doors and grow."
2008 Beacon graduate Alee Sribanditmongkol calls her experience at Beacon "a life changer."
"You WILL meet the exact person you need to meet, or HEAR the exact thing you need to hear to set you up for success, whether it is finding a dream salon, hearing a key presenter speaking on interviewing, business approaches, or straight talk from people who started out just like us and ended up exactly where you want to be."
Alee said her experience at PBA Symposium inspired her to help other students. Today, Alee works in the admissions department at the Ohio Academy Paul Mitchell Partner School in Twinsburg, Ohio, where she said she is "learning, leading and following."
2002 Beacon graduate Catherine Miley Chishti says her experience in Beacon made a huge difference in her career – and her perspective on the salon industry.
"It made me see things in a different light," she said. "I got to see that being a stylist isn't just about creativity and skill, it's also about business. To make it now as a stylist you need to know that so you can open doors and grow."
Catherine attended PBA Symposium in 2002 as a Beacon winner which, she said, helped her land her first job at Xena's Beauty Co. "PBA Symposium was how I got my first job as a stylist. Salon owners and managers were there to offer advice and inspiration – it was nice to know they were just as eager to speak to you as you were to them," she said. "I could not have asked for a better experience."
The 100 student winners for 2009 have been announced! Visit probeauty.org/beacon to see a list of winners, find out what the Beacon winners will be up to at PBA Symposium: Consumer Culture and learn more about this exciting program.