People choose the beauty field for a number of different reasons, and everyone finds something unique to love about it. For Christiana Denegall, that thing was the opportunity it created to be creative. With her incredible preexisting knowledge of the arts, Christiana was able to find a great career as a cosmetologist. Read on to discover more about how these two worlds collided for Christiana.

Christiana Denegall’s Creativity

What made you realize you really loved cosmetology?

I’ve always been an artist. I would draw in pencil and watercolor when I was growing up, and I loved it. And I was very intrigued by fashion illustration. As I got older, I got more into the performing side of it, like singing and musical theater. I just loved being a part of the arts and the creative process, and I knew I didn’t want to do anything in a career that I wasn’t passionate about.

When I got to college, I was kind of working my way through community college, and I was just working and felt really depleted. I started doing hair and makeup for my younger sister, and I realized how much I enjoyed it. I started researching it, and I got such a creative high off of it. People would leave so happy once I finished styling their hair and doing their makeup. I was like, “This is a creative field I can make some money in and have a real, true career in.” That’s why I chose cosmetology.

What is your passion?

For me, I really want each client that leaves my chair to leave feeling like a lighter, lifted, more beautiful version of themselves than when they came into my chair. Because a lot of women, when they come in to get their hair done, they’re in their sweats, and they’re hiding, and they don’t want anybody anywhere near social media to see them. And there’s also normally a lot of other stuff in life dragging them down. I’m not a real psychiatrist, but I can give them a massage, and I can relax them. And they can pivot around, see themselves in the mirror, and feel beautiful. And I love giving them that feeling. I love that rush.

What were your biggest obstacles in cosmetology school?

A lot. Many, several things. I have been working the whole time I was in school, and I was doing two jobs while I was here full-time during the day, so that was very stressful. And even though I was doing that, money was still very tight. So even just getting the gas to come to school and make sure everything was covered, because you’re here 40 hours a week, but you’re not getting paid. You’re doing something for 40 hours a week, so that was very difficult for me.

I also had a lot of car issues, and that’s the way that you’re going to get here. That needs to be reliable. I had different things in my personal life. I’m engaged, so I’ve been planning a wedding, working two jobs, and going to school 40 hours a week.

So, it’s been a lot of things all at once and trying to stay focused. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, so keeping up with that schedule while having something going on inside your body that’s slowing you down, you can’t get past without pushing, has been very, very draining. I’m ready to be finished and take a nap, and then don’t stop until I get where I want to be in my career. Just like a week of peace, that’s all I need!

What helped motivate you through school?

I would say that the thing that helped me the most to get through my time at school, when it was difficult, was that I had a very, very clear goal in mind of what I wanted to complete. I was like, “I wanted to leave here being a great colorist. I wanted to leave here being the person who could give the best blowout in the school.” I had a clear goal, “This is what I want to do with my life.” And I want to make the most of it while I’m here.

What made you decide on Ogle School?

I work, right now, for a company called Lush Cosmetics. And the trainer there is an incredibly talented esthetician, and she was a person who did my training at my job. And when I started to become curious about the beauty industry, I asked her if she had any schools she would recommend. And I didn’t even finish the sentence before she went, “Ogle! Ogle! Go to Ogle. You have to come to Ogle. I went the one on Mockingbird and Abrams. Go to Ogle,” like that was it. And I tried to ask her about other schools, and she just shut them down. She was like, “Ogle. Ogle.”

So, I had to come to see the place that she was so infectiously excited about. I came here, and I met the admissions counselors, and they cared so much, and I loved that. So, this was the first school I toured, and it’s the school I chose, and the one I’m going to graduate from.

Discover Your Own Beautiful Story

At Ogle School, we know that every person’s journey is unique, and that’s what makes their story so beautiful. If you feel like your journey includes beauty school, we want to help you through that with our cosmetology program and esthetics program. If you’re ready to discover your own Beautiful Story, request more information to get help with that process.