Cosmetology launches Suny Anaya's microblading business

"Hair taught me how to talk to people and find out what they wanted. So when it comes to basically putting a tattoo on their face, I had some experience in understanding what they really wanted."

About 10 years ago, high school graduate Suny Anaya enrolled late at Francis Tuttle, unsure of what was going to happen.

She didn’t know if she would get in, or beyond that how she would pay for it. But she knew Cosmetology was her calling since she was a child, so that’s what she did thanks to a little help along the way.

“I really love that Francis Tuttle was more about getting you the career, not about taking your money,” Suny said.

Suny doesn’t do hair anymore, though that’s what helped her build her life. Now she does microblading – a semi-permanent eyebrow treatment that required additional certification by the state department of health – at MorFit Medical. But some of the same rules apply.

“This is working less hard physically, but mentally it is harder than hair,” said Suny. “Hair taught me how to talk to people and find out what they wanted. So when it comes to basically putting a tattoo on their face, I had some experience in understanding what they really wanted.”

Suny took advantage of Francis Tuttle’s New Start dates for adults, which allow students to begin classes later in the year and get started on their path to career success without delay. She was also able to secure Financial Aid help.

And once she got going, Suny paid it forward by helping other New Start students with what she already knew.

“You see all of these people coming in, and you can show them how to go about different things, and it shows you how much you’ve grown and how much you’ve learned,” she said. “That was big when it came to confidence.”

Another boost came when she won first place at the SkillsUSA state competition in the spring. 

“Since I competed and I won, I feel like I was able to show my parents, ‘Look. I’m going to school for this, and I am learning something and I do have the qualities to set me apart from just any hairstylist,’” Suny said.

Now that she has professional experience, Suny looks back on her time at Francis Tuttle and understands exactly why Instructor Sheila Kissick spent time on various lessons. It’s exactly like she described it, Suny said.

And the resources available at Francis Tuttle are exactly what students will later see in their careers.

“The quality is there, and it’s what you make it, ultimately,” said Suny. “With microblading and with hair, if you don’t have the passion, don’t do it. If you have the passion but don’t have the skills, they can teach you.”