Katrina Smith

As a cosmetology instructor, I teach the technical skills of cosmetology - the hands-on and the theory of it. But my biggest purpose is so much more than that. I tell my students I'm not just your instructor, I guide you, I mentor you, I help build you. One of the biggest things is building self-esteem. There's a lot of people who lack self-esteem because of lack of support, motivation, and just realizing their value and their worth. My biggest thing is to pull the best out of my students and help them find their path and know their value and their worth, and to let them know that they're somebody with a voice and a purpose. The biggest thing is the guidance and the mentoring. When people ask what I'm most proud of, it's helping change lives. I've been at my job for 20-something years, and I really feel that I'm being built to guide and mentor on a different level. I just don't know where yet, but I know that it's coming and I know that's my purpose.