EIT hair and beauty students celebrate with whānau day at CHB campus

Hair and beauty student Denium Beale treats 2-year-old Jade to a manicure and colour, two shades of pink, at the EIT whānau day at the CHB campus.

A group of Central Hawke’s Bay hair and beauty students celebrated completing their level 2 training last week by pampering a group of invited guests.

The EIT students put on a whānau day for friends and family, providing lunch and treats that included stations set up for manicures and hair styling.

The event was the students’ final assessment and a celebration of success, said tutor Melissa Marfell, herself a graduate of the same course five years ago.

Melissa says she was a single mum with a 1-year-old daughter when she spotted the hair and beauty course in 2019.

“I tried it and found I really enjoyed it. I progressed to doing level 4 and 5 in Taradale, then did a Growing Great Entrepreneurs course, then opened my own business.”

However, “the cyclone ruined everything so I had to close and I started at EIT as a tutor”.

“I’m absolutely loving it. The students are awesome, so enthusiastic and fun.”

“Proud mum” Bonnie Prier (left) gets some star treatment from her daughter, hair and beauty trainee Alex.

Melissa says she gets huge satisfaction watching her students progress.

“Some of them already had makeup skills, some didn’t. Many didn’t believe in themselves. I’ve loved watching them grow in confidence and learn how to make the most of themselves and their clients. They have done so well and they make me feel like I’ve done a good job.

“There is a great mix of skills among the girls, and they have built strong bonds. It’s sad that some are not coming back – one is moving, one may be going into nursing, so the whānau day was a farewell for some.

“Most of them will be back in July though, to do level 3, and that’s fantastic. There are 12 students signed up for the next course, and we even gained a recruit from whānau day ... one of the students’ sisters has signed up.

“There are some talented students here and they are assets to our community and to any employer. We need to keep them coming, keep these classes full of enthusiastic learners.”

EIT CHB hair and beauty tutor Melissa Marfell on the day she graduated from the course she now teaches.

Melissa says while there are a few weeks until classes resume, she will be busy with prep work, and collaborating with other EIT tutors.

Hair and beauty student Jenine Burgers is one of the class that will be back in July for level 3, following in the footsteps of her mother who is a beauty therapist.

“I love it and I’m keen to keep learning. Beauty is my favourite aspect of the course ... and especially working with Mel [Melissa].”