DUBLIN, Ga. — This year has been a tough one for the Dublin City Schools after dealing with the loss of Jaroy Stuckey, and his wife Elysea.
Stuckey was the principal at Dublin High School, and his wife was the cosmetology instructor over at the College and Career Academy.
In July, the career academy brought in a new instructor who says that coming into this position has been an adjustment for her and the kids, but they have some projects in the works that they're really excited about.
Inside you can find the students washing, styling, and cutting hair. They even do manicures.
Right now, they're learning how to do all of it inside a classroom, so that they can one day use these skills in the salon.
Shatavia Martin has been doing hair since she was 11-years-old.
She's always dreamed of working in a salon and she did that for some time. Never did she think that she'd end up teaching others her passion.
"This is my first year teaching, I am a new teacher," said Martin.
Coming into this position as a new teacher has been an adjustment for her.
She says she felt like it was important to teach her students how far cosmetology can take you.
"During COVID especially, jobs have become rare and hard to find, and even if you're just a teenager, you can still do hair on the side to help you and your family make extra money," said Martin.
The cosmetology course is one of Dublin's High School's career pathway programs. The programs allow students to get hands-on experience that they would not receive in an average classroom.
"We've learned how to clean our nails and how to flat iron our hair," said Isaiah Philiyaw.
"We learn the proper way to wash our hands. We learn how to do silk presses like a cosmetologist, braid hair," said Jabricka Moye.
Moye and Philiyaw are both first-year cosmetology students and they're taking the class in hopes of one day working in a salon.
They say they're not only learning technical skills, but life skills too like patience, creativity, and time management.
"I'm really excited about this because this is the main thing I want to do," said Moye.
They say the class is important because it gives students another option if their first choice is not college.
"What if you don't make it to college and need a second job? You have to have a plan B," said Philiyaw.
"They're awesome kids. I have a very great group. This is going to be a great year," said Martin.
She says the class is currently planning field trips to the salon so they can see what it's like to actually work in one.
They also have a community service day coming up so they can practice what they've learned on real people.
Students enrolled in the class get credit hours that can go toward their state board test. It's what cosmetologists have to get in order to become a licensed cosmetologist.