The National Association of Women Business Owners of Orange County accepted Cerritos College Cosmetology Assistant Professor Brenda White into the Remarkable Women Hall of Fame on Oct. 26, 2001.
Over 700 people attended the luncheon, held at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, in which White was admitted into the Women Hall of Fame. “I was surprised, I felt very honored to have received such a prestigious award,” marveled White.
Last year White was presented with The Remarkable Women’s Award for her accomplishments and talents at Cerritos College and in her own business. This year she was inducted into the Remarkable Women Hall of Fame for her lifetime achievements.
White recognizes the students’ potential to succeed and takes pride in enhancing their performance.
“I want my students to encapsulate how to be professionals in the service world of Cosmetology. They need to learn how to sell themselves to be successful.”
Raelynn Baioa, junior cosmetology student, thinks White is “an excellent teacher. She explains well and gives us hands on experience. She also brings in her own equipment for us to use on the floor.”
During the summer, she travels to Ghana, W. Africa, to teach in a two-year Cosmetology program. The program offers apprenticeships to African students in a professional salon. “It’s great working one-on-one and contributing to the cosmetology students in Africa.”
White has been teaching at the Cerritos College cosmetology department for 20 years. Originally from Texas, she began to style hair at the age of 11, and has been a professional cosmetologist for over 30 years.
Aside from teaching, White also manages to run her own cosmetology boutique in Tustin. A grandmother of five, she does not identify herself as “a typical grandmother. There’s no babysitting for me,” she joked.
Senior Jessica Sneed says White prepares students for state board, the cosmetology license exam. “She makes it harder here than it really is out in the professional world. She really deserved the award and the recognition.”
The NAWBO-OC is the “premier educational and networking resource for local women business owners and professionals.” The group strives to promote the growth, stability and profitability of women-owned businesses.
