Clippers, Color and Confidence — Crockett High Students Build Careers in Cosmetology
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – When Crockett High School cut the ribbon on its new cosmetology center last year, school leaders hoped the program would give students more than a classroom elective — they wanted to give them a career. Now, midway through its second year, those hopes appear well-placed.
For senior Analyssa Ramirez, the past two years have revealed just how deep the profession goes.
“We learn a little bit of everything,” she said. “Highlights, perms, nails, waxing — all of it. It’s a lot more than what people think it is. It’s not just playing with hair. We’re learning skin disorders, learning about the scalp, massage manipulation… it’s very enjoyable and very beneficial in real life.”
The new program, which opened in January 2024, added a fully equipped salon classroom, modern wash stations, manicure and pedicure areas, and enough supplies to train a full cohort of future cosmetologists. The investment is paying off not just in technical skills but in confidence.
Senior Valery Garcia began the program just to try something new, but soon discovered a talent she didn’t know she had.
“Originally this was supposed to be something ‘just in case,’” she said, “but more recently I’ve been seeing the benefits of having this as a career.”
Garcia now hopes to specialize in men’s cuts and clippers — a direction she never expected when she enrolled.
Superintendent Damenion Miller says that kind of discovery is exactly why Crockett Independent School District (CISD) fought to bring cosmetology back.
“The purpose of the program is to provide a career for students as they graduate from high school,” Miller said. “These young ladies are going to be able to start their own businesses. And it is a business that is never going to go away. It can be done anywhere.”
But keeping the program wasn’t easy. Miller said state officials in Austin considered removing cosmetology from the list of approved Industry-Based Certifications — a move that would have weakened career-technical programs statewide.
“We had to really fight to keep it on there,” he said. “We know we have students who are interested in this, and we want them to finish with a certification they can actually use.”
For many students, that certification is more than a credential — it’s a first step into adulthood.
Senior Brianna Reymundo, now in her second year, says the preparation feels real.
“We’ve learned to practice for the state board. We’ve done perms, haircuts, dyes, manicures, pedicures,” she said. “After high school I’m definitely going into something with hair. Anything that involves hair — that’s what I’ll be doing.”
Her classmate Jennifer Davila brought two years of cosmetology experience from another school before returning to Crockett specifically because the program reopened.
“When I heard they were going to have it back, I came right back over here,” she said.
Davila loves the community she’s found through the work.
“The funnest part is being part of the community… learning how to make other people feel unique,” she said.
She admits perms challenge her — “I struggle with them, but I like the outcome” — and hopes to pursue barbering after graduation.
Behind the scenes is cosmetology instructor Natalie Commander, a 25-year professional stylist and Crockett High graduate herself. This is her second year teaching, and she says the students have changed her life as much as she’s changed theirs.
“I believe I’ve built some really great, lifelong relationships with these girls,” Commander said, with emotion. “These are my first seniors. I’m a mama of four girls, so I love girls — and we are a close group in here.”
Commander also wishes she could give them more time.
“I wish we had a block schedule where they could spend half a day with me instead of trying to shove everything into just a few hours,” she said. “I keep reminding them, I’m here even when you finish. You call me. You come see me.”
She was stunned when she first toured the district’s investment in the program.
“My goodness, this is pretty amazing — especially for a high school,” she recalled.
Commander says most of their instruction focuses on hair, but students learn “all of it”: manicures, pedicures, acrylic and gel nails, facials, and waxing, along with the fundamentals of coloring, cutting, curling, and permanent waving.
Her passion — and the students’ — is unmistakable.
“Hair is my passion,” she said. “When they get passionate about it, I know we had a hard day, but it was all worth it.”
For some seniors, the program has already inspired long-term plans.
Alexis Millhouse, who balances sports and cosmetology, says the class revealed parts of herself she didn’t expect.
“I learned that cosmetology is not just playing with hair,” she said. “There are many different aspects. Some I don’t like — I definitely don’t like doing pedicures — but I love the hair part. Highlighting, haircuts… I really enjoy our program.”
Millhouse plans to attend Lamar University, then open her own salon.
She says the toughest part isn’t the hands-on skills but the intuition behind them:
“It depends on the client — what they want and whether you can achieve it. Sometimes it’s the instinct part.”
For Superintendent Miller, cosmetology represents the kind of practical pathway schools need to offer.
“Cosmetology can open doors,” he said. “Maybe it gives them a way to work through college. Maybe it becomes their career. Either way, it’s real skills and real opportunity.”
As Crockett High prepares to graduate its first cohort of licensed cosmetologists—many planning to walk straight into jobs, apprenticeships, or advanced training—the program stands as proof that when schools invest in students’ interests, students rise.
For those enrolled int he program — and the many more surely to come — cosmetology isn’t just an elective anymore. It’s a future they can see taking shape in their hands.
See a more in-depth look at this remarkable program in this Sunday’s edition of our Houston County News podcast.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
