The Cosmetology department provided free services for a group of women that were either homeless or not doing well.

The Women’s Gathering Place provided a shopping spree on site for clothing, jewelry, shoes and purses. Students were assigned a woman to work with who did makeup, hair and manicures.

This isn’t the first time the first time Cosmetology participated in community activates events.  The department works alongside other organizations, but this was the first time with this particular group.

Susan Zagar, has been a teacher at San Jose City College for ten years, noticed that students were nervous at first about working with homeless people, but most quickly got over that fear.

Students were “working on who were maybe aren’t functioning well in society, so they were very abrasive about what we are going to run into. What if someone is really difficult?” Zagar said.   

During the day, Zagar said, there were some issues with the homeless, but not in a violent way.

“Some weren’t real receptive of what was going on. They were doing it, but you could tell there was a little bit of anger or just who knows what was in the background. They all had stories, but it was great to see students come out of that just saying this was amazing we should do this again,” Zagar said.

At the end of the day, students were laughing alongside each other having a good time with their client. Ewere Aideyan, a Cosmetology major who graduated in the spring, noticed that she got a smile out of the angry ones.

“There was a male there that was trench over and when he sat down he immediately started crying because he said that never had a make over before. After a few short moments he was so helpful and grateful for everyone’s work, “said Aideyan.

When the event got going some students were overwhelmed and were anxious when clients walked through the door. Shannon Bulosan, a Cosmetology senior, had anxiety but it was met right away with her excitement to help out the community.

“When I first met Anna Moore, I was just really happy to have her. She was really open and somehow I got personal to the point that she is now going to go to my church,” Bulosan said. “I was just really happy to have her as my client that I was volunteering for. My experience was something that I couldn’t forget and something that I want to continue doing because I really want to work for the community. 

Helping the homeless made Aideyan more humbled for the things she has to have the ability to help someone out and made her want to make an impact in the community.

“I don’t have much to give as far as financially, but I know I can give back something. So I just want to make an impact. When I leave her I like people remember me in a positive light,” Aideyan said

Both Aideyan and Bulosan found that giving back to others was actually a great stress relief and validation for their hard work. If the opportunity came again both would eagerly jump at the chance to do it again.

“A lot of the times you become a therapist and you don’t even know it,” Aideyan said. “Sometimes it’s just the touch of your hand and you don’t even know it. It’s just being there that this therapeutic for them.”