Heather Hernandez

I've dedicated 28 years to cosmetology and barbering - it's been my entire career since I started. My journey began right after my son was born when I enrolled in school in Lafayette, Louisiana. Life took me to Arkansas where I finished my initial training, and then to Vernal, Utah during the oil field boom. Utah has the highest hour requirements of any state in the union, so I had to complete an additional 500 hours of training. I was able to apply those hours toward my barbering certification, and when I graduated from school in Utah, I earned credentials as both a cosmetologist and a barber. I eventually moved back to Louisiana where I've built my career as a single mom, raising my two kids who are now adults with families of their own - I have two grandbabies and I'm waiting on the third one any day now. I worked my way up from the bottom at Supercuts to become a manager, running the salons, which stands as my most notable professional achievement. The pandemic significantly impacted the cosmetology business as people, especially men, realized they could just shave their hair off themselves. After taking a break, I'm now pursuing an accounting degree at South Louisiana Community College with just two semesters remaining before transferring to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. My partner was in a horrible accident on March 7th, so I've been serving as his home health nurse. When I'm not studying or caregiving, I enjoy gardening with both flowers and house plants, and I love to read. I'm also a Master Gardener.