Kristina Barranca

About me

I was born/grew up in: Kitchener, Ontario

I now live in: Kitchener, Ontario

I completed my training/education at: I did an apprentice program at St. Louis. It was two days a week of in class courses for a full year. The program I took made me do certain amount of hours in salon training. This took two years to complete the required hours.

What I do at work

I work at a salon, I do, I work at a salon. Here I colour and add highlights to people’s hair. My mathematical skills come in handy to create my colours. There is a lot of science behind colouring hair. You have to know what to mix together to create the colour you want. You have to keep in mind the colour the hair is right now and the final colour that you want to achieve. What works for one person might not work for another. So I’m always doing some type of problem solving. For example, the colour the client might have used before has to be taken into account. Also you need to consider the texture and the condition of the hair. You also need to know if they are looking for a major colour change.

My career path is

I took cosmetology all throughout high school. When I graduated I went to a technical school to learn about cutting and styling hair. I also did an apprentice program that took two years of in salon training. Here I worked with people who had been working for a long time. I learned from them and got to practice stuff I learned in school. Today I still take classes and I attend seminars and trade shows at least one to two times every year.

I am motivated by

I love doing hair colour, highlights, and giving my clients a shampoo. I love seeing my clients and I feel good everyday knowing that I make them feel better and relaxed. This career is right for me because I love the social aspect of meeting people, talking to them, and it making them feel better. This career is awesome for me because you are always learning and I love to learn. There are always new techniques, tools and equipment coming to the workplace and I love keeping up with it all!

How I affect peoples’ lives

I help people feel better about themselves and enhance their beauty.

Outside of work I

Some of my hobbies are hiking, painting, baking and going fishing. I volunteer for different fundraisers (mental health/ homeless).

My advice to others

Co-op is a great opportunity to get a glimpse of what field you are interested in. Make sure you love what you do!