The lives of many people have been stalled because of the pandemic, but for many students the outbreak of COVID-19 forced them to adapt to online learning in order to continue their path to graduation. One of these students was Ofelia Garcia who completed the clinical esthetics program in the middle of a very uncertain time for many in the country.
Although she had been out of school for several years and having a teaching career, Ofelia said she decided to pursue a career in a near life-long passion of hers – skin care. She said she has always wanted to take this passion and use it to help other people feel beautiful and confident in their own skin.
“I’ve always had a passion for skin care and skin health. It’s something that has been very near and dear to me because I care so much about my body and my health,” she said.
Because education has always been so important to her, finding the best school to learn esthetics to earn her certification was a huge priority. When she first spoke to the Academy’s founder, Dr. Doran, and visited the campus, Ofelia said she was confident that International Skin Beauty Academy was the perfect fit for her, despite the 45 minute commute she would have to make from her home.
“[Dr. Doran’s] passion for what she does and what she has been doing all these years in dermatology and esthetics, I can just tell that she’s just very serious about really providing a good education for her students,” she said.
However, when Ofelia decided to pursue her esthetics license and chose the program at International Skin Beauty Academy, she never imagined that the hands-on education would quickly move to online at-home learning. Only two weeks into the program, Ofelia and her classmates had to adapt to online and at-home learning until students were able to return for classes in June.
Because the pandemic threw everything for a loop, the school had to adapt and figure out how to still provide a quality education to its students. When in-person classes resumed, the program length was extended so students could work in partners rather than the entire class in order to be as safe as possible. This gave students the opportunity to receive nearly private practical lessons with Dr. Doran every week.
Despite the challenges that came with the shutdown, Ofelia was able to pass her certification exam and begin her new career as a licensed esthetician. As she is now expecting her first child, she says she is at a point in her life in which she would like to be her own boss.
Having worked as a teacher for 16 years Ofelia said she was ready to start pursuing her passion and use it to build her own business. With her license she plans to work as an independent contractor from home and hopes to be able to make others feel good about themselves and their skin.
Because of the education she received at the Academy, she expressed confidence in her ability to successfully build a loyal clientele and create an at-home business doing what she loves and helping other people.
“It was definitely a great experience and I would definitely choose International Skin Beauty Academy every time because Dr. Doran was great,” she said. “I’m very proud and I really love the school.”
