Graduate Spotlight - Riley Damrow

Riley Damrow

Cosmetology, December 2018

Her connections with instructors and other students have opened up doors and created lifelong friendships.

Starting the Cosmetology program at Mid-State wasn’t actually on Riley Damrow’s radar, that is, until she toured the campus.

“When I walked past the Salon at Mid-State on-campus Cosmetology salon I instantly really liked what I saw and wanted to find out more.” With the encouragement of her family, and seeing that the price of tuition was right for her, she jumped right in.

Riley was no stranger to the Wisconsin Technical College system, having previously graduated with an associate degree in business management. She knew she liked the hands-on learning and the student-centeredness, which, she says, is evident at Mid-State. Her connections with instructors and other students have opened up doors and created lifelong friendships.

Along with obtaining her associate degree in Cosmetology, Riley is also wrapping up her bachelor’s degree in professional psychology, which relates to employee motivation and retention. With a dream of one day opening her own salon, the technical skills and industry licensure gained at Mid-State will complement her other degrees to make that dream a reality.

While Riley hasn’t accepted any offers for employment yet, her entrepreneurial spirit and skills gained will allow her to critically think about what she wants and choose the offer that is best for her and her future.