After 14 years as a teacher, then one-half owner of the Carson City Beauty Academy, Rosemary Peterson is hanging up her curling irons and calling it quits.
Peterson is retiring and selling her interest in the academy to partner Sandra J. Escover.
The pair have owned the academy, located at 2531 N. Carson St. near Northgate movie theater, for 12 years, and Peterson said she is ready to relax and travel. Already she has been to Europe and would like to see Australia.
"I'm not making any plans right away, but I'll have plenty to do," she said.
Since it opened, the academy has put several hundred students through classes on manicure, skin care and cosmetology. As the only beauty college in Northern Nevada south of Reno, they see students from as far away as Fallon and Lake Tahoe.
Right now, there are 70 students enrolled in a variety of courses. Instruction includes hands-on training with community residents who pay a small fee to volunteer their heads for practice. And Peterson said it is a good deal.
Dedicated students go through more than a year of training before going out into the real world.
"We've got a good reputation," Peterson said. "I've been a teacher for 36 years and I have always loved working with younger folks."
The large front room inside the academy is abuzz with activity. Mostly young women - although some men go through the programs - move quickly between hair-washing, hair cutting and manicuring stations.
Even with Peterson's office door closed, the sound still penetrates. "My job is school director," she said. "And there is a lot to direct."
A mother of six adult children, Peterson moved to Reno, her present home, shortly before taking a job at the academy. She is a North Dakota native, and has also lived in Florida.
"I would always vacation here and I loved it," she said. "I have two children in Reno."
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the academy offers discounts to seniors. It will also offer an open house for former students and community members on Aug. 23, 2-4 p.m.
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