“As a 40-something-year-old going back to school, I wasn’t sure how well I would be
able to adapt,” said Toni Duclottni- Harich, an esthetician from Collin College’s
first cohort of its Continuing Education Esthetician program. “I am excited every
day to be in class. I’ve learned so much, and I continue to learn every day. It’s
more than what I ever set out to do.”
Duclottni-Harich had researched different esthetician programs for six months before
enrolling at Collin College.
“In October of 2023, my husband googled ‘esthetician schools’ once more to see if we could find something different,” Duclottni-Harich said. “And there it was, the media release from Collin College regarding the new Esthetics program! I knew this was where I belonged.”
Classes for the Esthetician program began in Spring 2024 at the Collin College Courtyard Center in Plano. The entry-level noncredit certificate program is designed to prepare students for state licensure. Students are provided with the skills, knowledge, and training necessary to transition into thriving careers as facial esthetics and skincare specialists. The program consists of 750 state-required classroom and lab training hours.
One of the challenges for Duclottni-Harich was not the hands-on lab training but the textbook work – reading and keeping up with her class. In 2013, after her son was diagnosed with dyslexia, Duclottni-Harich discovered that she also had dyslexia, a learning disability that she has always had to work around. However, this condition only fueled her determination to pursue her dream career.
“I decided to tackle the textbook part of the program head-on in the very beginning by pre-reading the chapters. That was a game-changer,” Duclottni-Harich said. “As Instructor Pierce (Tempest Pierce) always says, ‘Read it. Write it. Repeat it.’ That core study principle allowed me to excel in the areas I wasn’t proficient in. How the curriculum was structured and how it is being taught makes all the difference for someone like me.”
Duclottni-Harich’s interest in skincare derived from a health scare. Due to an incident and the lack of a healthy ingredient available for her skin, she felt compelled to produce a natural deodorant, leading to her developing a skincare line, Botanic Skin. The cosmetic line was established three years before she enrolled in the Collin College Esthetician program. As a result, she decided it was in her best interest to study esthetics to learn more about the physiology and chemistry of the skin and enhance her skincare formulation skills.
“Being in this program has changed everything for me,” Duclottni-Harich said. “Instructor Pierce is one of the best instructors I’ve ever had. She is such an effective and visual communicator that I excelled rather than struggled. It’s another testament to the thought and strategic planning that Program Director Ketia Bradley put into this program.”
Pierce shared her experience teaching and working with Duclottni-Harich.
“Toni is an amazing leader and has never been afraid of a challenge,” Pierce said. “Her significant qualities are leadership, dedication, problem-solving, and nurturing other students. And her passion for formulating skincare products is unmatched.”
Duclottni-Harich completed the Esthetician program earlier this year and has already obtained a suite space to work and establish her clientele as an esthetician.
“Initially, I planned to open a product-focused skin bar to retail my current skincare line,” Duclottni-Harich said. “However, after being in this program, I’m leaning more toward a spa treatment-focused skin bar that features my products. I have a deep concern and care for others, so being able to help change someone’s skin for the better, knowing it could help change them as a person, is a no-brainer for me.”
Duclottni-Harich’s advice to others is to “be kind to yourself.” She believes everyone should consider their passions and goals in life. She encourages everyone to “hit the restart button, and join me and other 40-, 50-, and 60-year-old visionaries.”
For more information about the Continuing Education Esthetician program, visit www.collin.edu/ce/classes/esthetician.