Waxing the City, Alabama Nail Company owner Melinda Sykes offers tuition assistance, guaranteed employment to WCCD Cosmetology, Esthetics graduates

Melinda Sykes

Wallace Community College-Dothan recently hosted Dothan businesswoman Melinda Sykes, owner of Waxing the City and Alabama Nail Company, on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, as a special guest speaker to WCCD Cosmetology and Esthetics students. Sykes debuted her student loan forgiveness program, offering WCCD Cosmetology and Esthetics students the opportunity to apply for tuition assistance or reimbursement and guaranteed employment at one of her two businesses upon graduation.

“I believe that one of the many purposes of the community college system is to enrich the lives of individuals in the community by offering education experiences that can change lives. One of the most effective ways this can be achieved is by partnering with local industries,” said Lori Godwin, WCCD Esthetics Technology Instructor. “Our partnership with Melinda has touched the lives of many of our students and is helping to pave the way to professional success. I am grateful of her continuous support of our program, our students and our graduates.”

Sykes’s offer of tuition assistance would cover tuition, supplies, and textbooks for WCCD students in the Cosmetology or Esthetics programs. In addition to graduating from those programs free of debt, graduates selected for the loan forgiveness program would be guaranteed employment at Waxing the City or Alabama Nail Company after graduation. To be considered for the program, students must complete an application and go through an interview process before being selected. Selected WCCD graduates would be employed full time and receive full benefits, including a 401(k) and health insurance.

“I’m excited to offer the Waxing the City and Alabama Nail Company loan forgiveness program to Wallace Cosmetology and Esthetics students,” said Sykes. “Many of our current employees are Wallace graduates of both programs and we feel they possess the skills and abilities needed to perform the services we offer upon graduation. Serving on the advisory board has been an honor and I’m excited for this new partnership with WCC. My hope is the loan forgiveness program is utilized as a gateway to a great career in the salon industry.”

Sykes opened Dothan’s Waxing the City in November 2017. Currently, the Dothan location is Waxing the City’s second largest revenue-generating franchise in the nation; it is the largest revenue-generating franchise in the South. Sykes will open her second business, Alabama Nail Company, later this year.

Sykes has been an important supporter of the WCCD Cosmetology and Esthetics programs and has served on the latter’s advisory board for several years. She has provided demonstrations and spa visits for students, as well as assistance with mock interviews. Several WCCD graduates are currently employed at Waxing the City.

For more information about the WCCD Cosmetology or Esthetics programs, please visit wallace.edu.