The Salon Professional Academy (TSPA), Evansville Cosmetology graduate Megan Johnson had the incredible opportunity to participate in the 2018 Beauty Changes Lives Experience this past April. The Beauty Changes Lives Foundation helps support the next generation of beauty and wellness professionals by awarding scholarships to cosmetology, nail, massage and esthetic students. This foundation held their 6^th Beauty Changes Lives Experience at the Art Institute of Chicago. Here is where the NEXTGEN Team and their Mentors put together looks to interpret their theme of “Exposed.”

Megan worked side by side with Chris Baran as her mentor. She was just as excited to share her experience of this event as she was participating, “The entire week was a dream come true. It was a lot of prep working up to the day of the event. We hung out back stage at the American Beauty Show with the Redken team. Chris and I were prepping in the corner for the Beauty Changes Lives Experience and we’d have artists coming up to us saying how amazing it looked as it came together. Everyone was very welcoming, and it was nice they were so supportive of someone new.”

One of the looks they had created was made from a lot of braids and chicken wire. That’s right, chicken wire! The look was incredible and displayed beautiful texture and movement with the curvature shaping. Megan began to explain what it was like to put this piece together with Chris Baran, “He was very informative and patient. I had never worked with chicken wire before and he had walked me through everything and explained everything without making me feel any less knowledgeable.”

Not only did she learn new techniques, but she took home other lessons as well. She explains, “I met a lot of Redken Artists and industry leaders and this was an awesome way to network. I learned a lot of new techniques. This experience really opened my eyes because at the end of the day we are all still people. No matter how good we are at something we are all still people. I learned to be humble and will take a lot of life lessons with me.”

TSPA Evansville owner, Robin Halter and Lead Educator Kerri Schultz attended the event cheering Megan on. Kerri shares, “It was a proud moment for us. She was such a true student and was always wanting to know every detail of how to do something. I couldn’t think of a more deserving student to have this experience.”

It is exciting to see such talent coming from our very own TSPA Evansville, IN. Being a winner of last year’s National Student Competition and now have participated in Beauty Changes Lives event, Megan sure is expanding her experiences.