Hairdressers At Heart Awards Wella’s Master Color Expert Scholarship

Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart has awarded its 2016 Master Color Expert (MCE) Scholarship to Ray Barron of Las Vegas, Nevada. The scholarship includes coverage of all program prerequisites, valued at $3,750, and up to $2,000 in reimbursable expenses.

Winning the scholarship and continuing his education through Wella is a major landmark in Barron’s career, he says. Wella and the Master Color Expert certification will provide him with the technical expertise and confidence to elevate his career as a stylist and color-correction specialist.

“My ultimate goal is to be a Master Color Expert and winning this scholarship – my mind was blown,” Barron said. “I’m here to take my foundation, break it up, and then fill the cracks with everything that the Wella educators teach me.”

The Wella Master Color Expert course is a signature, 10-day seminar offered at Wella Studios. Focused on giving students an expert-level understanding of color, the certification course begins by establishing Wella’s color theory before transitioning into building technical and creative skills, allowing stylists to master their craft and also grow their clientele. MCE graduates have been found to grow their personal revenue up to 30 percent more than non-graduates.

“After that first essential color class, I felt so confident,” Barron said. “I am a good hairstylist, but I can be great, and I know Wella can make me better. I feel like MCE is going to give me the training that will take me to that next level.”

For Barron, winning the scholarship and enrolling in Wella’s MCE Program is part of a journey that spans a number of years. Barron has been working to enroll in the MCE program with colleagues and industry peers for “a long time,” he said, but every time something would fall through logistically.

Finally, this year, he took a leap of faith and applied for the MCE scholarship through Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart initiative, which invests in stylists and beauty professionals who are making a difference in the lives of others and their community. Barron, who enrolled in the MCE course as a finalist before learning he was named the winner of the scholarship, cried tears of joy when he learned he had won.

“It’s very, very humbling to actually win something as big as this,” Barron says. “It feels really great. I don’t want to be just another hairstylist. I want to be an amazing hairstylist, and I know that if I work really, really hard through the Master Color Expert program, I know I can get there,” Barron said.

Wella North America CEO Sal Mauceri said Wella invests in the success and education of beauty professionals through the company’s Hairdressers at Heart Initiative because the organization believes in the power of stylists, colorists and hairdressers to inspire positive change in the lives of others and their communities.

“Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart initiative is driven to bring the very best education opportunities to individuals in our industry who are making a difference,” Mauceri said. “Our Master Color Expert program is an incredible launchpad for taking the careers of hairdressers to the next level, and we’re honored to help provide that opportunity for Ray.”

To enroll in the next Wella Master Color Expert course and other Wella Professional education opportunities, please visit www.WellaEducation.Tumblr.com/Calendar.

For more information about Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart scholarship opportunities, please visit www.HairdressersAtHeart.com, and join the conversation on our social channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.