BUTTE — The Butte Academy of Beauty Culture has been helping students in the Mining City obtain careers in cosmetology for the past 70 years. Now, the current owner is planning to close up shop at the end of August, but she’s still looking for people to come in and help students with real-world experience.
For four decades, Peggy Dallaserra, the owner and lead instructor of the beauty school, has been imparting knowledge to aspiring cosmetologists. She says she’s ready to put down the scissors and grading pencil after an unsuccessful hunt for instructors to help her with the beauty academy.
"I have no staff, so maybe there’s just not an interest in instructing, I don’t know," says Dallaserra.
In order to keep the school's state accreditation—a distinction that helps offer things like scholarships—Dallaserra says two years ago she began searching for additional instructors without success. All the while she was fielding calls and emails from high school seniors and people looking to get into the program.
"There is definitely a need in cosmetology school because I get calls all the time from people wanting to start school and start my program," says Dallaserra.
The beauty school has been operating in Butte since at least 1938. It became accredited by the state in the 1970s, and thousands of cosmetologists have gone through the program.
"I have students that are salon owners. Students that have just ventured out and done a lot of different things. Every once in a while, they’ll send back a letter or something and say, 'Yeah, thanks to the Butte Academy.'"
Throughout a roughly year-long course, Dallaserra helps guide students through course work including anatomy and chemistry lessons. She is also an important guide when they work on real clients to obtain the 1,500 hours of experience they need when applying for licensure.
"I get calls every day asking when my next class is gonna start and, ugh, I just get really sad because I’m like, 'Well, I just started my last class,'" she says.
Now Dallaserra is asking the community to help this last class learn the art of cosmetology.
"I mean, I’m just so thankful for all the people that have come here for so long, just to help all these students, you know? You’re helping them build on a profession that, you know, gets them someplace. So, it’s been great. It’s been great."
