Beauty isn’t just a job or a career at Inspire Greatness Aveda Institutes, it’s a way of life! Everything on the earth is connected in some way, which is why it’s important for our students to see the bigger picture beyond the classroom! We offer some incredible extracurricular activities for our students to apply to, such as our New York and London Fashion Week trips, North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) competition, and study abroad to places like Madrid, India, Berlin, and Japan. All of our students are invited to apply for these opportunities, so we wanted to answer a few of the most common questions our students have here on the blog!

1. Who can apply for these opportunities?

Any of our current students are welcome to apply for the activities of their choosing! Some opportunities may be more appropriate for some programs than others, however. For example, our massage therapy students may not be as well suited for the NAHA competition given that their program doesn’t cover hair styling! If you’re not sure about how your program fits with the extracurricular program, feel free to talk with one of your instructors! Both students and graduates are welcome to apply as well!

2. What are the biggest benefits of attending one of these activities?

The biggest benefit for our students is that they get the opportunity to network and work alongside industry icons. Students also usually get a lot of hands-on technical experience that they can immediately apply from behind the chair or in the treatment room. It’s a boot camp of techniques that can strengthen their styling or makeup muscles a lot quicker!

3. What is the application process like?

The application process for each program is the same. There is a paper and video application portion, your retail and service numbers are evaluated, and your grades and attendance are included as well. The video portion of the application is probably the most involved, because each applicant needs to create a video on YouTube where they explain why they should be selected, why Aveda is important to them, and what this program would do for them and their career.

The only program with an additional application requirement is the NAHA competition, which requires applicants to include a before and after image of their work on a model. They need to show the model with no makeup or styling done, and then show how their work looks on the model afterwards. We want to see what our students are capable of!

4. What do you generally look for in these applications?

After meeting the basic academic and service number requirements, the most important thing we look for is how the applicant represents the Aveda lifestyle. We want to see that they are hard workers that would represent the school well and what it stands for during their travels or competitions. It’s hard for students to be selected sometimes because of how many incredible applicants want to participate, so it’s all about making yourself stand out and showing how this would help you and your career.

5. What can I do now to prepare for a future extracurricular activity?

The biggest tip we can give is to work with your educators on academics, attendance, and service and retail numbers. Make it known that you’re applying. Make connections with people everywhere so that you can show that you can work well on a team. Be engaged with the other students and staff at the school and really push yourself from the very beginning!

Build Yourself With Inspire Greatness Aveda

Aveda is a way of life, and we love to see that in our students! They become very passionate about their careers and are incredible representatives of a brand that promotes love and care for the earth and the people in it. Visit our website to learn more about our NAHA, study abroad, and fashion week opportunities. If you’re ready to take the leap, contact us and we can help find the right program to help get you where you want to be at your Tucson, Phoenix, Denver, and Provo campuses!