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photo or infographic by Ana Wilkerson

WAX ON, WAX OFF. Arching the eyebrows of junior Brizelda Vazquez, junior Emma Atkinson practices what she learned in class.

As the semester closes and cosmetology students pack up their scissors, they look ahead and begin to see what has been waiting for them during their odyssey in the class. The successes and failures of the past have led up to this important moment: the board exams.

The board test is the deciding exam the cosmetology seniors take in order to gain the license to cut hair professionally. According to information on the Texas Department of Licencing and Regulation website, the test can be taken in 16 Texas cities including four locations in Houston

“Before you take the exam we have to know exactly how to safely conduct hair styling,” junior Emma Atkinson said. “Basically just making sure we will not hurt anybody. In the future I plan on opening my own salon, so cosmetology is definitely something really important to me.” 

The seniors in the program need a certain amount of hours total for the ability to take their test. The tests are $50 for the written exam and $72 for the practical exam. 

“There are two tests the students must take in order to receive their license,” cosmetology teacher Kaitlin Hepler said. “Their written exam can be taken once they reach 900 hours and is done at a testing location off campus. Then they must take the practical exam at 1000 total hours.”

The  small handful of seniors that have carried out cosmetology have like minded ideas about what they plan on doing once they graduate

“I plan to have my license to use while I’m in college,” senior Samuel Skeide said. “It’s a good way to make good money and really just fund my college experience. I love that  I have actually stuck through with cosmetology because my hard work is going to pay off.”

Seniors are finally realizing that everything they have done has led up to this point. 

“After everything I’ve been through I’ve always stuck with cosmetology,” senior Gabrielle Pina said. “I really want to run my own salon instead of going through further education, I think that I would be able to stick through it for at least the first few years of my life if I get good clients.”

Seniors at different skill levels can take the exam when they feel as if they are ready to ace it.

“The student must receive at least a 70 to pass the written exam,” Hepler said. “It takes a lot of hard work and preparation to know what to do. Once they are ready to take the practical exam they must get a 70 or higher as well.”