Tricoci University of Beauty Culture recently was awarded the second annual Beauty School of the Year Award from the American Association of Cosmetology Schools.
The Chicago school was recognized as the winner for providing strong fundamentals in its curriculum and providing students with a highly engaging teaching environment. While the Chicago location was specifically recognized for the award, Tricoci University offers programs at 15 campuses in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
We caught up with Kim Robinson, Education Field Support Specialist at Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, to learn more about the university and what she is seeing in terms of the next generation of beauty professionals.
Please give us some background on the university as well as any plans you have for the future you’d like to share.
Mario Tricoci is a world-renowned hairstylist who came to America from Italy in the late 1950’s. After opening many successful salons, he wanted to share his knowledge with the next generation of professionals to ensure the legacy of the beauty industry would continue moving forward so in 2004 he opened his first school (Tricoci University of Beauty Culture) and as of today we now have 15 campuses. Our plans are to continue with Mario’s dream and open more schools making an impact in the industry that Mario still loves and supports to this day, and we are striving to be the employer and educator of choice.
How do you keep students engaged?
We spend a lot of quality time supporting our educators and making sure they are equipped with everything they need in order to facilitate a dynamic classroom experience. In addition to that we will bring in guest speakers, competitions between all 15 campuses to showcase our students work, as well as weekly check ins with all students to ensure all is well and to let them know we are here to support them on their journey.
How has your curriculum changed over the past few years?
As the industry changes, so has our curriculum in an effort to mimic the industry in real time. A few examples are training our students on lash extensions, keratin treatments and bringing in additional product lines such as Matrix so that our students are well rounded in what is happening in the industry.
What is the mindset of your students?
Our students are truly focused, driven and determined to be the best. Many of our students are aware that they can graduate with honors and work towards that goal understanding what that might look like to a potential employer.
What do you find they are trying to accomplish with their degree in terms of going into business?
A lot of our students have family members who have paved the way and have watched their relatives in action. Some plan to join the family business that has been around for many years and others plan to be the first in their family to ever start a business with the mindset of giving back to the communities they grew up in.
Do you see any regional trends in terms of curriculum or in terms of what students are seeking from the university?
Yes, many of our students have asked about learning new things such as brow lamination, brazilian waxing, hair extensions and nail art just to name a few. We listened and have incorporated these trends into our curriculum to better prepare the students for the industry.
How is enrollment?
Our admissions team does an excellent job in making connections with prospective students so enrollments for us is great and year after year we see an increase in our student population.
How do you see the future of the beauty business based on what you are seeing in your programs?
The future of the beauty business will always be in a mode of growth, creativity, and a spin-off of the past. The biggest thing that makes us proud is that we will have contributed to the success of the beauty industry because we are nurturing our future one student at a time.