LCC Cosmetology Student Places Fourth At International Competition

Twenty-six year old Joey Humphrey of Kinston tried a number of different careers before he decided to come back to his roots - cosmetology. His mother, Sonoko Humphrey, has been a cosmetologist for more than 30 years and is owner and operator of Hair We Go. Humphrey is no stranger to the profession.

Humphrey, a first year student at Lenoir Community College, placed fourth out of 154 competitors at the Chicago Midwest Beauty Show in the Ladies Cut, Color and Design division. This was his first competition, and his coach and instructor Stanley Mitchell could not be more pleased.

LCC Cosmetology Program head Stanley Mitchell, left, congratulates his student, Joey Humphrey, on winning fourth at the international Chicago Midwest Beauty Show. The two are pictured with Humphrey's winning design.

"He did extremely well," said Mitchell who is the program head of the LCC Cosmetology program. "Joey was competing with other students from all over the world. He is consistent and follows directions well. Joey is very teachable. I am impressed with his natural talent."

Humphrey said the competition was a challenging experience. To adhere to the requirements of the contest, he had to cut, and style a mannequin within the 35 minute time limit in front of a huge crowd. To prepare he said he refined his skills by practicing on at least 10 mannequins and two live models.
"The hardest part was getting the time down," he smiled. "I had to get from a three to four hour creation to a 35 minute creation. I chose that style because of a combination of techniques to best demonstrate my ability," Humphrey said.

Mitchell said entering competitions for LCC was a continuation of the commitment of excellence in the industry. "Competitions like the Chicago show benefit not just the competitor, but all the students because they supported him and learned from his experience." Humphrey's success was a combined effort of the Cosmetology department and his coaches. Besides Mitchell, Ronny Hawkins of the International Institute of Hair Design in Raleigh assisted in the training of Humphrey for the competition.

Hawkins specializes in training competitors. Mitchell has also trained with Hawkins. "We used that resource to broaden our scope of training," Mitchell said. "Ronnie gave Joey insight to the expectations at the competition level." Humphrey said the Chicago competition was worth the experience, and he plans to compete in Greensboro at the 53rd Annual Competition for National Cosmetology Association.

"I had a chance to interact with other competitors and see other cosmetologists' work," he said. "I felt good about the competition, but waiting for the results was the most difficult part." Mitchell said that experience would decrease some of the pressure as Humphrey continues to learn and compete in the field.

Humphrey has never doubted that he would continue his education. He is an avid student. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. Prior to that he attended LCC, taking general education courses and also attended North Carolina State University for a year and a half studying veterinary medicine. He moved to California to pursue a modeling and acting career. After being disappointed from the lack of acting opportunities he returned home.

"With cosmetology, I feel like I have found my niche, my path in life," he said. LCC has provided me with more than entry-level skills, and has prepared me for even further studies at the advanced level. "I hope to continue to train with some of the greats in the industry. The competition was a valuable learning experience. I have a better understanding of the whole concept of hair design," he said. "It stretches your imagination. If you want to keep up in the industry, you go to hair shows."

Mitchell said that he is very interested in Humphrey's success. "He's very disciplined, a perfectionist. He's a joy to teach and he brings out the best in me."

For more information on the Cosmetology Program at LCC, call Stanley Mitchell at 252-527-6223, ext. 128 or email at slm108@lenoircc.edu.