Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Vo.
Hi Jacqueline, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
During the mid-’70s, my parents immigrated from Southeast Asia to Pennsylvania to escape the aftermath of the war in Vietnam and to seek new and better opportunities in the USA. I am one out of two in my immediate family that is considered a first-generation Vietnamese American who grew up in the States. My experience growing up was a battle in terms of living between two different cultures. One of those battles was deciding on a career path. Going through school, I was taught that I could choose to be and do whatever I wanted. There were so many options laid in front of me. It was overwhelming to choose from. At the same time, my parents taught me to choose something that they thought would be financially secure and would be most benefitting to me in the long run. That narrowed down my search. I thought about the art, health, science, and education field. My parents saw no future in the field of art, so I had to narrow it down to the health, science, and education field. I chose to pursue education because I had come to love teaching and working with children.
After graduating from Millersville University with a Bachelor’s degree, I landed a job as a Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS) for children with individual emotional, physical, and other needs they had. With sudden changes halfway through the year, it was by my faith that I was able to graduate in the expected time frame. Working as a TSS allowed me to grow in so many ways, but I couldn’t see myself doing what I was doing long-term. I had done that for about 2 years and tried taking on completely different job opportunities after that. With each job, I found and learned much about myself and what I really wanted.
I got married to my husband in 2021 and moved down to Orlando, Florida a month after. That was a chance to start fresh and look for new opportunities and pursue what I had dreamed of for so long, which was to be a hairstylist. I got a job at a salon as a receptionist, which I currently work at now, to make my way into the beauty industry. For me, I believed that seeing the everyday routine of working in the salon would help me make my decision in moving forward. Currently, I am back in school and am enjoying it very much. I am eager to get back out into the working world, but at the same time, I am appreciating everything that I am learning and experiencing at Affinity Hair Academy. I thank God for what I have gone through to be where I am today. For so long, I had allowed my fear to take over in my decisions for the future, but now I had decided to take that power back. No matter the age, it is never too late to pursue your dreams.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There were a good number of struggles along the way, for sure. Going back to my time at University, I was confident that I would be set in the career I had chosen after graduating. In my senior year of college, I had been hearing of alumni going back to school to pursue different things. I didn’t realize that I would also do the same. I didn’t think that I would be able to graduate in time after switching my major halfway through my senior year. There were also struggles in the jobs I took on after graduating. They weren’t necessarily jobs that I was looking forward to doing, but I wanted to gain some experience and see where they would take me. I was interested in the mental health field because that was what I was surrounded by during my time working as a Therapeutic Support Staff. After that, I had taken a role as a case manager and worked with women with opioid use disorders. I had learned that it was difficult for me to work in such an uninviting setting, and I felt like I couldn’t show my personality. Little things like that had led me to deduce a career that can provide an inviting environment, allow me to work with people, and where I can be creative at the same time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently a student pursuing Cosmetology. My short-term goal is to become a hairstylist and work behind the chair for at least 5 years and move on to become an educator in the hair industry. In my family, there is only one other family member, who is my cousin, that is in the hair industry as well. I am most proud of taking on a career that people tend to undervalue but is valued among all the different careers. I think what sets me apart from others is my mindset and not necessarily my skills.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people do not know that I enjoy doing karaoke with people. When I was a child, my first dream was to become a singer but instead, I chose to do something different.
Pricing:
- Haircuts & Style begin at $25
- Pricing varies for color
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @styledbyjvo
