Staff Spotlight: Mary Penrose

The staff at students at Crave Beauty Academy aren’t just people we associate with, they feel as close as family! This family mentality is a big part of what makes Crave such a unique and special place to learn beauty skills. One of the people we have to thank for that culture of closeness is Mary Penrose, or Mrs. Penrose as she’s known to her students. We had the chance to interview her and get to know how she helps to make Crave an outstanding experience for all of our students!

About Mary

Mary began her cosmetology career in 2008. Before that she was working at Shelton Pattern helping with the manufacture of airplane parts for Boeing. Mary was uncertain about her future in that job, so in 2008 she took the leap and started visiting beauty schools! A few short weeks later she was enrolled in a cosmetology program and loving every minute of it!

After completing her cosmetology program, Mary was called by the owner of her school and hand selected to return to school for her cosmetology instructor license. She started teaching at that school right after completing the program, and taught at that school for a year. Mary realized after teaching for a year that she didn’t have the experience she wanted to be the best teacher she could, so she accomplished the impressive feat of being hired at an Aveda salon. The Aveda salons are exceptionally selective, and often only take on students who graduate from an Aveda school, but Mary was so impressive that they almost had no choice but to bring her on!

Mary worked in the Aveda salon for several years, and moved up the ladder there very quickly. She was performing very well, and in 2014 she decided it was time to get back to teaching cosmetology. She was passionate about taking her expertise and sharing it with people who are still developing in the beauty industry. In February of 2015 she was hired at Crave Beauty Academy, and the school has grown ever since!

Mary’s Role at Crave Beauty Academy

Mary started at Crave as one of our educators, and within her first 90 days here moved all the way up to lead educator! In the years following she’s continued to to impress us with her drive and passion for teaching beauty, and has moved into the associate director role of the St. Louis campus. She works with everyone in the building to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that everyone is happy. She is probably the busiest lady in the building! Everything she does is geared at helping people to do wonderful things in the beauty industry.

Why Mary Loves Crave Beauty Academy

When asked why she loves Crave Beauty Academy, Mary said:

“The culture we’ve created is like no other. It’s very family-oriented, caring, and loving. I love my staff. We do the right thing by students and community, and the owner backs me up on that mission. The passion that I see in my educators, office administrators, and students is what feeds me.”

This culture is part of what makes Crave such a unique and wonderful place for people to learn and grow! Mary believes that it’s extremely important for all of the staff at the school to continue learning so that the education only improves with time.

Advice for Future Students

Mary also has some excellent advice for students who are thinking about attending Crave Beauty Academy:

“We have a great curriculum, a beautiful campus, and excellent educators; you can’t find talent like this anywhere else. When you tour you have to decide that Crave is the right fit, you need to like it here. If a student wants to get an education with all-stars, Crave is the school for them!”

Learn More Today!

Are you considering a career in cosmetology? Let Crave Beauty Academy help give you the head start you want! With programs in cosmetology, esthetics, and nail technology, we have many options for you to choose from! Contact us to get more information and begin today!