Hair Design Is My Livelihood

Koren’s Story
Throughout high school I thought I knew what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” I was planning to be a graphic designer for an advertising agency. I was even a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the advertising program at the college of Journalism and Mass Communications. I thought I knew where my life was headed and thought I had it all planned out. However, ever since I can remember, there has been a part of me very intrigued by the thought of being a hairstylist.

When I graduated high school, not going to a four-year college seemed to be out of the picture. So like most newly graduated teens, I followed in what I thought my family and friends expected from me. After a year and a half, I found that it just wasn’t for me. There was barely a day that went by without me thinking about doing hair professionally. So I followed my heart, dropped out of UNL, and enrolled at Joseph’s College of Beauty in March 2012.

Within the first few weeks of school I knew I had made the right decision, even if everyone around me was skeptical. Being a hairstylist is more that just “doing hair.”

There is a delicate thought process in choosing the best cut, color, or style for my clients. I take into account a few qualities of the person. First, I consider their lifestyle. Are they the type of person who will spend a large amount of time on their hair in the morning? Or do they want the wash-and-go style? Second, I consider their face shape and features. What type of style lines will accentuate and bring out their natural beauty? Third, when coloring hair you look at their skin tone and eye color to decide what will complement them well.

I am put into a position not many people are able to be in, asking for trust from people who start as complete strangers but soon find themselves comfortable telling me about their lives. When someone walks into my salon without a smile on their face, I take it put on myself to try and make their day. My goal is to make them feel beautiful and special. The feeling I get when I’m able to do that is priceless.

I’m blessed to be doing what I love and helping people while I’m at it. Expressing myself through the materials others bring to me allows me the creative outlet I always longed for. I couldn’t imagine my life without this form of art.

About Koren
Koren Keller graduated from Joseph’s College of Beauty in June of 2013 and is now working full time as a hair and makeup artist at the Hair Lounge in Lincoln, Nebraska; she also works part time at Sally Beauty Supply. Koren and her fiancé are getting married on May 31st. They recently adopted a dog from the Humane Society and love spending time outside with her. In her free time, Koren finds herself doing Pinterest projects and planning her wedding.