Paul Mitchell the School, Federal Way, celebrated its official grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 26. Paul Mitchell the School took over a former Gene Juarez Academy of Beauty in 2023 and will continue to partner with Gene Juarez going forward. The school is located at 2222 S. 314th Street in Federal Way.

The grand opening featured speakers including John Paul DeJoria, co-founder and chairman of the board at Paul Mitchell Systems, and Winn Claybaugh, who is the dean and co-founder of Paul Mitchell Schools as well as a ribbon cutting. The owners and team of the school were also present and Federal Way leaders joined to celebrate the grand opening.

Janeth Gomez was in the first class of students to learn with the new Paul Mitchell curriculum when the school began the transition from Gene Juarez.

Gomez said she began at the school right after graduating high school and was deciding between nursing, cosmetology and mixology at the time. A year later, she’s glad she settled on cosmetology, and when asked what her favorite part of the job is, she said, “I like making people happy.”

One moment that stands out for her in her journey was her first real client after coming from the classroom. She gave her a full color service. After being so intimidated by the process, she said her first reaction after finishing it was to “start crying!” — but that she was proud of the outcome of that first time.

Director of marketing Megan Harris said this opportunity to get hands on experience as soon as possible is important to Paul Mitchell the School and that 70% to 80% of their education is with clients.

“We try really, really hard to get them a full client base while they’re in school. That’s what really sets us apart,” Harris said. “We also have a really holistic curriculum where we do marketing classes, business classes, resume building, things like that so they’re well rounded and not just understanding how to do cuts and colors. They have a well-rounded education with the business and in the community.”

Juan Vazquez is another student at Paul Mitchell who also started in that first class. So far a highlight of Vazquez’s experience at Paul Mitchell was getting the chance to volunteer and participate in a fundraiser to raise money for survivors of sex trafficking.

The Federal Way location has already held several other events to give back to the community since the transition between school ownership changed last year. Paul Mitchell cosmetology schools have raised over $22 million to date through these type of grassroots fundraising and community events, according to their website.

As far as the ribbon cutting last Thursday goes, Vazquez said the speakers gave him a “new perspective on life,” and with themes like inviting his audience to focus on “trying to find a resolution” rather than holding on to anger.

Angie Rico is another student who said she appreciated the insight from the ribbon cutting as well, especially the reminder to appreciate and be grateful for all the resources and support you have around you.

Rico added that a highlight of her career at Paul Mitchell the School was a recent photoshoot that she got to model for. It was a great chance to “get creative” and Rico said a highlight was “seeing their art on me” when the other students displayed their cosmetology skills through the shoot.

DeJoria told the Mirror in an interview: “It’s very important for me to invest in the next generation because I truly care about hairdressers and the whole industry. If you care about it,you want it to be around, you have to do something about it.”

“It’s also been very good to me. I started out homeless, and it’s been a very good business to me, this industry is a fun industry,” DeJoria said.

DeJoria also added that it is a job that can be a living wage and also has a lot of job security. He mentioned that at a recent conference about AI, he asked the presenter if AI would ever be able to replace hairdressers. The presenters response? Laughter and the statement that ‘I should probably become a barber or a hairdresser!’ because it is something that AI can’t replace, according to DeJoria.

Federal Way Chamber of Commerce CEO Rebecca Martin echoed the importance of jobs like those that Paul Mitchell the School prepares you for, saying: “We’re particularly happy with the Paul Mitchell school, because of their commitment, not only to trade education that helps people grow into living wage jobs, but also their real commitment to contributing to the community where they’re located.”

If students are interested in enrolling, there are start dates throughout the year, and Harris encouraged prospective students to reach out to her to set up a tour.

Rico’s advice to anyone who is considering the career? “If it’s something you want to do, just go for it!”

Paul Mitchell the School, Federal Way, hosted their grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 26, after a smooth transition from the former Gene Juarez Academy of Beauty that opened in Federal Way in 1990. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang/The Mirror