Courtney McCarter: Beauty and Brains

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY / Multimedia Journalist

While the next step for most students after high school is college, some take a gap year to explore their other passions. For Courtney McCarter, that passion was all things beauty.

“I started cosmetology school when I was here in Texas. I did it in high school,” McCarter said. “But my senior year, I moved to Colorado, and so I didn’t get to finish here.”

While she was in Texas, McCarter only needed 10,000 hours to finish cosmetology school. However, 15,000 hours are required in Colorado, so she took a year off from college to complete her courses.

“Going through cosmetology school, the haircuts and color were always my favorite, and I still love doing it. But right now, my focus is nails,” McCarter said.

McCarter is currently a junior at Tarleton State University, with a major in communications and an interest in news photography. She has also considered switching her major to education and teaching history at a middle school.

Fate is what brought McCarter to Tarleton. 

“I finished my cosmetology program, and then at that time when I was applying for colleges, this was the only school that was still accepting,” McCarter said.

While she learned the basics in cosmetology school, McCarter’s love for nails only grew at college.

“I needed to practice doing nails so I could take my state board. Because when I was in cosmetology school, I was really bad at that,” McCarter said. “That was the worst thing that we covered, and then I started practicing on my roommates, my friends here at Tarleton and I just fell in love with it.”

While McCarter is still a beginner nail tech, but she has already learned a lot.

“I would say the prep for retention of the nails was probably the hardest thing. Like learning what products work the best, the primer, dehydrator, all of that,” McCarter said.

McCarter goes to class, has another job and still makes time to schedule her devoted clientele. I guess you could say she’s nailed it.

Lexi Dennis is a client and friend of McCarter’s.

“I have been getting my nails done with her for a few months and she does so good. She knows exactly what to do if you don’t like it, and she’s so sweet,” Dennis said.

McCarter is in the process of creating an official price sheet and creating a name for her side business.

Zoe Jameson is another client.

“She always goes above and beyond what she is asked. She is very precise, detail-oriented, and neat. Another thing Courtney is great for is her prices. Courtney is extremely affordable. This is great for all the college kids in this area,” Jameson said.

Whether she grows her nail business here on campus, owns a hair salon, pursues news photography or teaches history, it’s sure to be a beautiful journey. To see the beauty in her progress, follow McCarter on Instagram @courtney_mccarter for more updates.