SOPHISTICATED COUNTRY

Ashley Zech loves playing with dogs and playing football in the mud. She hunts, she fishes and she adores doing anything outdoors.

“I grew up getting into trouble on the farm, I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl,” she says.

Ashley might have grown up as a tomboy, but there is a little more glitz in her life now. She attained her cosmetology degree last year from La’ James International College in Cedar Falls, Iowa and she now runs her own business; she rents a chair at Studio 17 in her hometown of Oelwein.

We asked Ashley: “What changed?”

“I found myself. I’m still country, but now I’m a sophisticated country,” she says while laughing.

Ashley says she enjoys being a cosmetologist. She primarily does hair, nails and sugaring. She’s been a small business owner for about 6 months now and things are going well.

“I’m my own boss. I’m my own business. I make my own hours. I make my own schedule. I can schedule around vacations…”

“Do you write your own paychecks?” We interrupted.

“Yes. I do,” Ashley responded.

Ashley decided to become a cosmetologist in order to help people. Her aunt was a hair stylist and she admired the work she did.

“I like to be creative,” says Ashley. “I love going to work every day.”

The future is bright for the tomboy turned cosmetologist. Ashley’s future is cluttered with appealing options. She says that she could stay in her hometown of Oelwein, or maybe down the road she could move elsewhere and start her own shop, renting out chairs to young stylists and helping them get their start.

Whatever she decides to do, she’s glad she went to La’ James International College and she’s glad she became a cosmetologist.

“I love it!” She says.

Do you love what you do? Contact a LJIC career planner today and start mapping your path to a career in cosmetology! Call 888.880.2108 or visit www.LJIC.edu today!