Articles
HCC cosmetology student starts beauty career while studying toward associate degree
By Richard C. Vara
Sep 25, 2025
When Aracely Salas graduated from Heights High School in 2023, she already knew her future would involve beauty and business. What she didn’t know was how quickly Houston City College (HCC) could help put her on the path toward her dream of owning a salon.
Salas, 20, completed HCC’s cosmetology program earlier this year, earning her state license in July. Within weeks, she landed a position at Visible Changes in Memorial City Mall.
“I put in my application about a week after I got my license, and they called me back almost immediately,” Salas said. “I went in for an interview, and by the following week, I was working.”
From manicuring her own nails as a teenager to earning a cosmetology license, Salas said her career drive started years ago on trips with her mother to beauty salons.
“I always wanted to go to the nail shop with my mom,” she said. “That’s where the inspiration started. Now, I get to turn those little moments into a career and, hopefully, my own business one day.”
Her professors at HCC noticed Salas had a spark for knowledge early on. “Aracely is an outstanding student who truly fell in love with every aspect of cosmetology,” Cosmetology faculty member Mishe Benjamin-Curry said. “At first, she was only interested in nails, but once she began working with hair and makeup, she discovered a passion for it all.”
At HCC, Salas found more than a cosmetology certificate. She also enrolled in business courses, aiming to later transfer to the University of Houston-Downtown to complete a bachelor’s degree. Her long-term goal is to run her own salon by the time she’s 30.
“I already know the behind-the-chair experience,” she said. “Now I want to learn the business side of owning a salon.”
Salas said HCC gave her the flexibility and support she needed. Financial aid covered her tuition, and advisors helped map out a transfer plan.
“HCC advisors are always trying to make sure we’re on the right track,” she said. “I see all walks of life at school, and it really is a place that welcomes everybody.”
Now balancing full-time work with her studies, Salas expects to earn her associate degree in May. Unlike her cosmetology license, she plans to walk across the stage at graduation.
“I missed my first one, but this time I’m definitely going to graduation,” she said.
For now, she is focused on learning the intricacies of hair coloring at Visible Changes and spending her free time bowling with friends, trying new restaurants and binge-watching television shows.
“I’m grateful for where I started,” she said. “And I’m even more excited for what’s ahead.”