Polishing their skills: Old Colony students give manicures to seniors
Feb 2, 2023
Daphne Cassidy shares a laugh with her nail technician, Old Colony student Addison Tyler. Photos by Rusty Gorelick
Madison Goodman prepares Anne Nelson’s nails for polish.
Kenzie Achadinha files Cathryn Kinsman’s nails.
Madison Goodman polishes Anne Nelson’s nails.
LAKEVILLE — Generations connected over nail polish at the Lakeville Council on Aging.
Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School 10th-graders in the cosmetics program gave manicures to local seniors on Feb. 2 to build experience as they begin to work on clients instead of classmates and mannequins.
The high school sophomores filed, shaped, and polished seniors’ nails as they chatted while relaxing piano music played in the background. This was the cosmetics class’s first trip to Lakeville.
“We had to stop these trips for two years during COVID,” said Old Colony cosmetics teacher and alumna Kim Parnell. “I’ve found that this is definitely helpful for the students. I always knew it was a good thing, but then I really saw how much of an impact it has.”
Addison Tyler, a Lakeville native, said she enjoys the variety of stories she hears when she gives manicures to new people, especially at senior centers where clients talk about days gone by in town.
“I really like the program, especially getting to meet new people,” Tyler said. “Everyone has different stories to tell.”
One of her clients at a prior senior center manicure session was a man who had attended vocational school and never received a manicure before, so they discussed how school equipment has changed over time as she told him about the details of nail care.
Old Colony takes students from Lakeville, Acushnet, Carver, Mattapoisett and Rochester.
Students pick “shops”—the vocational courses—-and rotate between shop and academics every two weeks.
The two-week rotations mean teachers have a limited amount of time to teach concepts. That makes the academics more rigorous than many would expect from a vocational school, Tyler said.
“The academics are fast-paced,” Tyler said. “I think it’s really good to be at a trade school because of the academics and that it’s good to have a career option.”
Old Colony students will return to the Lakeville Council on Aging for more manicures on March 16. Hair, nail, and skincare appointments at the school’s salon can be made by calling 508-763-8011 ext. 137.
