Cosmetology student Audrey Tobar gives Angelica Massie, of Clear Springs High School, a manicure before prom. Cosmetology students volunteered to help with Operation Cinderella of the Assistance League of Bay Area, which allowed girls to select a donated dress to wear to prom.College of the Mainland cosmetology student Joe Martinez gives a prom-day haircut to a student from Hitchcock High School.

Operation Cinderella provided the dress and College of the Mainland students did the rest. Cosmetology students treated high school girls to prom manicures, hairstyling and professional makeup.

“I love it and my fiancé keeps telling me how pretty it is,” said Angelica Massie, of Clear Springs High School, after a student styled her hair.

Young men from Hitchcock High School received haircuts and prom styling as well.

“I like making people feel beautiful. When they look in the mirror, it’s a good feeling,” said Audrey Tobar, a cosmetology student from Texas City.

Students in the COM Cosmetology Club volunteered to help, many remembering their own prom experiences.

“The students get as much out of it as the girls,” said instructor Jamie Hunsucker. “It makes them feel good."

Begun in 2006, Operation Cinderella of the Assistance League of Bay Area helps students attend prom who may not otherwise be able to afford the expense. Students from Clear Creek, Dickinson and La Porte ISDs and the Devereaux School are referred by their Communities In Schools coordinators or school counselors based on individual circumstances.

It allows students to select a donated dress and accessories to wear and be pampered by volunteers before their night.

The COM Cosmetology Program trains students to be estheticians, cosmetologists or instructors. Cosmetology students learn manicures, pedicures, hairstyling, hair coloring and makeup. 

Estheticians learn to specialize in facial treatments, peels, masks and scrubs. Advanced students work in the Salon at College of the Mainland under experienced instructors. To learn more, visit www.com.edu/cosmetology.