Natural Hair Styling, 2023 Graduate
“I am overjoyed. This blue paper, my license, will take my career to places that I’ve always wanted to go.”
QuanDesha “Q” was working as a Certified Nursing Assistant when she learned about the Natural Hair Styling program at the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center (CDEOC). Braiding had been her passion since childhood, and to work at a salon, she needed to obtain a license.
“I was getting tagged from people I know on Facebook about the natural hair styling program, and I knew it was meant to be,” QuanDesha said. “The opportunity to obtain a license in exactly what I love and live to do is amazing. The fact that the program is free is a plus.”
QuanDesha is among the inaugural group of students to have completed the CDEOC’s Natural Hair Styling program, the first of its kind in the Capital Region.
“Natural hair care is such a big thing now and I am so proud to be a part of this history,” she said.
QuanDesha credits her son and her instructor for keeping her motivated throughout the program. Despite facing obstacles along the way, she remained determined to not give up due to the support of her instructor and peers.
“My teacher and classmates encouraged me every day and I love them for that,” QuanDesha said. “They empowered me, gave me strength when I didn’t have any, and made me believe in my talent.”
Now a licensed natural hair stylist, QuanDesha’s ultimate goal is to become a professional braider who travels and teaches others how to braid. She aims to share her experiences and knowledge with other young women like herself who want to understand all types of hair, especially their own.
“I am overjoyed,” said QuanDesha. “This blue paper, my license, will take my career to places that I’ve always wanted to go.”