CHINA GROVE — Sometimes the best way to learn something is just to do it. Real-world experience can be a very good teacher. 

That was the plan behind the Rowan-Salisbury Schools job shadow day that took place on Feb. 1. High school students from around the county signed up to visit various businesses and organizations for an inside glimpse at a professional role.

For Kylie Houchins, an 11th grader at Carson High School, the trip to Posh Salon & Nail Bar was a chance to gauge her interests in cosmetology.

“I’m interested in learning how to do hair and being able to take that into regular life when I get older,” Houchins said. 

She has known she wanted to take the cosmetology course since her sophomore year. 

“I definitely knew that hair was more my style and that I wanted to pursue it,” Houchins said. 

Next year, Houchins plans to take a cosmetology class that is offered through Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. For now, she is happy that she got to see how a salon operator, in this case, Callie Miller, runs a studio.

When some friends in the school system told Miller about the job shadow day, she was on board right away.

Miller remembers being Houchins’ age. Much like Houchins, Miller knew, even then, that she wanted to pursue cosmetology. She even took the cosmetology program when she was in high school, but she wishes that she could have participated in a job shadow event back then, now that she saw how advantageous that it was for the students.

“I think it would have been beneficial to be able to see all the aspects of doing hair before I actually got into the program,” Miller said. 

There was a lot to go over for the high schoolers including much of the business side of the salon. 

“We discussed everything from making appointments to consultations with clients,” Miller said. “(We also talked about) what all types of payments we accept and how we wished someone would have taught us more about how to do our taxes when we first got started.”

Miller also explored such elements of her work as coloring and hair extensions. Three other students joined Miller and Houchins at Posh. Morgan Monahan of South Rowan, Honesty Shankle of North Rowan and Aunye White of Carson watched Miller work with a client. 

White is interested in athletic training but said she feels like experience in cosmetology would be beneficial for her financial independence as she gets older. Shankle is also interested in having cosmetology as a skill and possible side business while she pursues a role in real estate.

Monahan indicated that she does her own nails and would like to become a nail technician. 

Fortunately for Monahan, Shankle, White and Houchins, Miller plotted a path for them to follow. 

“We talked about what classes are beneficial once you get done with school,” Miller said. “We also talked about working booth rent or commission.”

No matter what the young women decide to pursue, they are equipped with a little more know how than they were before the job shadow day.