Afro-Caribbean champ….for the third time
AFTER three years in a row, there can be no doubt about it – CNWL students are the best in the business when it comes to Afro-Caribbean hair styling.
The College of North West London proved it for the third consecutive year this week when Level 2 hairdressing student Sherine Roberts won the UK national title in her category.
Hundreds of college hairdressing students competed in more than a dozen categories in the national UK finals at Blackpool of the AHT (Association of Hairdressers and Therapists) Awards on Monday March 16.
Mother-of-one Sherine, 24, who was brought up in Neasden but now lives in Hertfordshire, wept and screamed when the results were announced and hugged her teachers. Her model was her cousin Charlene Newell, 27, who lives at Preston Road, Wembley.
The winning hair style worn by Charlene was a short asymmetric cut with pink and purple colour slices at the front and a back flick.
Lecturer Peter Stonebanks, who runs the College’s hair and beauty salon in North End Road, opposite Wembley Park tube station, said: “We are just over the moon, because this is our third national champion in three years.”
Last year Nordia Harwood from Wembley won the national Afro-Caribbean title, and the year before Kerry Graham from Neasden won it. But the College also won the same title eight years ago in 2001, when Jamaica-born CNWL student Marva Gordon from Willesden swept to victory.
Two other ex-CNWL students, Michael Roberts and Marcia Johnson, have won numerous national titles, although they never won an AHT national championship while at college. During her Level 1 course, Sherine did work experience at Michael’s Willesden High Road salon, Michael’s Styles.
Sherine originally enrolled at the College in 2004 to study Level 1 hairdressing, but had to drop out to have her son, now 4. Once he was at school, she returned to study, and now does occasional Saturday work in Kilburn or Willesden, but intends to come back to College next year to do Level 3.
Said Sherine: “Hairdressing is my favourite activity. It’s just me. I’ve been interested in it since I was 12 – I used to do my own hair, my sister’s, my cousin’s, doing corn rows and braiding. I’m only happy when I’m doing hair. I’ve tried to enjoy other jobs, but it didn’t work.
When I first left school, I worked at two hair studios including Toni & Guy’s, and I learnt a lot about cutting, but I wasn’t really moving forward. The College is brilliant because I have good teachers who give me lots of support and guidance they encourage you to do well and take your career further. I was overwhelmed when I won the regional final. I cried, Charlene cried. But Blackpool was a brilliant experience. Winning will help me in my work and in other competitions, but mainly it’s given me a lot more confidence. My son thinks it’s wonderful.”
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