Nail Tech is one of the many unique programs offered by BSHS. As a class held off campus, it offers students a special opportunity, and enrollment requires more than just signing up.

“I had an interview for it and directly afterwards I was accepted,” senior Ava Van said. “A week later I had another interview at Nail Tech, and there they talk about how much it is, because it isn’t free.”

The Nail Tech program cost students $375 to participate and offers training in more than just how to do nails.

“We go over how to properly take care of a salon and the policies involved in running a salon,” senior Bianca Zaragoza said.

The course helps students hone a wide range of skills and allows them to explore multiple avenues of interest within the world of cosmetology.

“It’s not just manicures; we also learn pedicures, and we learn a little about hair, but we don’t do hair,” Van said.

Nail Tech is a class that combines traditional classroom elements with a strong focus on real world application and practice.

“We work with a combination of book work and hands on projects,” Zaragoza said. “We practice with a lot of our classmates.”

The class is intended to help students find jobs in the real world, so the course evolves as the trends in cosmetology change.

“We’ve been working a lot on nail art because that’s what’s popular right now,” Van said. “So [we do] things with jewels and little designs.”

Beyond learning how to do nails, Nail Tech students also learn why and how certain nail polishes work and react to one another.

“We learn a lot of science, a lot of chemistry, since we work with a lot of chemicals,” Zaragoza said.

An unexpected benefit for students in Nail Tech is its focus on the entrepreneurial element of the class.

“Management was really important for me to learn because in life and in business you are going to have to deal with different types of people,” Van said. “You’ll work with nice people and rude people, there will be people who will try to rip you off. I’ve never been good at time management, so the business aspect was really helpful.”

Nail Tech is a class for driven individuals who are willing to work hard to get results. Many of the elements necessary to being successful as a nail technician in the real world are covered within the class and the students who participate are grateful for such a well-rounded and gratifying experience.