Cosmetology Student Success Story: Isabelle Schafer

About Isabelle Schafer

Some people spend years waiting for the right moment to chase what they love. Isabelle Schafer decided to stop waiting. Isabelle, a cosmetology student at EBC’s Bellingham campus, came to beauty school after juggling two very full lives at once: serving tables at a sushi restaurant while studying Human Services at Western Washington University. She was busy, she was learning, but something kept pulling her back to hair.

It had been that way since she was little. She remembers painting her nails as a kid, getting bored of the color, and repainting them the very next day. In high school, she decided to bleach her own thick, curly hair platinum all by herself. Eight hours and a panicked trip to Sally Beauty later, she walked in half yellow and half brown. She laughs about it now. But even then, the drive to create and experiment was always there.

It was not until she sat through enough college lectures that everything clicked. “After sitting in a classroom for hours on end, I realized I needed to be on my feet and working with my hands,” she shares. “That’s when I decided that I should start doing hair.” EBC’s Bellingham campus made the choice easy. She had visited once before for a blowout, loved the experience, and when the timing felt right, she did not look back.

The Evergreen Experience

Long layers and foiling are where Isabelle truly comes alive. She loves what a precision cut can do for someone, the way the right technique completely transforms how hair moves and falls. Instructor Ms. Trixie helped her take that skill further when a client came in with very fine but thick hair. “Ms. Trixie showed me a few different ways to blend them better,” Isabelle says. “It really opened my eyes and helped me improve my technique.” That kind of real-time, hands-on guidance is exactly what she came to EBC for, and it shows in how quickly she is growing.

She also has a deep love for lightening services and cannot wait to do more color work as she progresses. It tracks: the girl who once spent eight hours chasing a platinum dream on her own curls is now learning to do it the right way, for other people.

A raccoon tail inspired hairstyle created by Isabelle

What has shaped Isabelle most at EBC, though, is the community she has found here. “It has been really rewarding to meet all different types of people and expand my community here in Bellingham,” she says. “All of the educators are incredibly knowledgeable in their own ways, so it has been great learning from each one of them and gaining their perspectives and techniques.” The weekly hands-on client experience has been especially valuable, not just for building technical skills, but for learning how to truly connect with the person in the chair.

And connection is something Isabelle takes seriously. She is warm, outgoing, and the kind of person who makes you feel comfortable the moment you sit down. But beyond the fun energy she brings, she has a deeper mission. Isabelle has thick, curly hair and grew up without ever being properly taught how to care for it. That experience shaped how she shows up for her clients. “My goal is to make people with all types of textured hair feel seen, understood, and well taken care of,” she says. For anyone who has ever felt overlooked or misunderstood in a salon, Isabelle is the stylist they have been looking for.

The Next Step

Hair color designed by Isabelle

Isabelle already has one foot in the salon world. She is currently working as a receptionist at Blessings Salon and Spa in Bellingham, and her plan is to transition into a stylist role there once she earns her license. From there, she is keeping her options open, including the possibility of moving to a larger city where she can continue to grow. Her long-term dreams are clear: specialize in curly hair and blonding services, work in a busy, energetic salon
environment, and one day travel to do her clients’ hair.

For anyone still on the fence about enrolling, Isabelle’s advice comes from personal experience: “I spent a long time waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment to start beauty school, but I eventually realized that there’s never a perfect time. The best time to start is now and just let everything else fall into place.”

Isabelle Schafer is expected to graduate from EBC’s Bellingham campus in December 2026. Follow her hair journey on Instagram at @isab.ellebeauty. We cannot wait to see everything she creates!

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the beauty industry, check out our different programs or Schedule a Virtual Tour at one of our campuses: Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Everett, North Seattle, Renton, Olympia, and Yakima.