Wildcuts Salon welcomes public clients for second time this year

Twenty appointments were scheduled at Wildcuts Salon on Thursday as Warwick Valley High School's cosmetology program opened its doors to the community for the second time this year!

Of the nearly 40 students enroled in the popular high school program taught by Kathleen Bettello, just over 20 were on hand as the doors were about to open at 3:00 pm, preparing their stations inside Wildcuts Salon. Then they began greeting clients—most from the Warwick Valley community, and a handful of student peers—ready to transform classroom learning into real-world practice.

_{Take a look at a gallery from Thursday's Wildcuts Salon day below this story!}

For Saoirse Trazino, a Class of 2026 member in her second year of the program, the nerves never quite disappear.

"You're always doing something new on clients, which can be nerve-wracking," she admitted, "but that's because you're getting to try new things out."

Despite the butterflies, Saoirse and her classmates consistently receive glowing feedback. "A lot of people really enjoy it and say we do a great job... especially for it being free!" she said. The complimentary services make Wildcuts accessible to the entire community while giving students invaluable career-ready experience.

Talia Sauro, a first-year cosmetology junior experiencing just her second public salon day, captured the true-to-life salon atmosphere: "It can be stressful sometimes, with all the chairs and arrangements; who's working with whom. We usually have to figure that out before—who's washing hair, who's doing cutting; the seniors have certain things they do, and there are ones we do."

That division of labor reflects students' progression through the program. Juniors typically handle services like hair washing and cutting, while seniors have developed skills in more advanced processes such as hair coloring and doing nails. The tiered approach makes sure students build foundational skills before tackling more complex techniques.

For Celia Greco, another junior who is new to the program, salon days have been wonderful for building confidence.

"It's fun to interact with random people and do their hair, but, honestly, the first time I did it, I was very nervous," she laughed. "But as I was doing it, it just made me feel more accomplished! It made me feel very confident in myself."

Ariana Mann, also a first-year cosmetology junior, echoed that sentiment.

"I like the Wildcuts days a lot, even though it's a little stressful," she said. "We like the experience, like talking to the clients, cutting their hair, even doing the schedules. And it just gives you a lot more experience."

That experience is precisely what sets Warwick Valley's cosmetology program apart. It's not unusual for students to graduate from multi-year high school cosmetology programs without ever having cut an actual person's hair, spending all their learning time working on mannequin heads. By contrast, WVHS cosmetology students complete up to fifteen client appointments by graduation—authentic experiences that elevate their learning to next-level real-world readiness.

The two-year cosmetology program is part of Warwick Valley's unique in-house Career & Technical Education program, which also includes courses in Criminal Justice and Video Production. Under Ms. Bettello's guidance, Wildcuts Salon has been taking care of public clients since the 2017-2018 school year. Ms. Bettello works side by side with students on salon days, guiding them through challenges and helping them refine their craft, developing both technical and customer service skills. Working in Wildcuts can also earn students work-based learning hours that count toward the New York State licensing exam required for professional cosmetologists.

The cosmetology program does a stellar job of preparing students for post-secondary pathways to either college or crareer, and it delivers a unique value to students who aren't necessarily considering it as a career. While Saoirse aims to become a teacher, she’s grateful for the head start on a second career the cosmetology program has given her.

“Career-wise, I want to be a teacher,” she said. “But, definitely, to be able to work myself through college, to have this as a side job? It's good money and a good fallback plan.” 

Celia plans to pursue nursing but she also values the salon skills and experience she is building now, knowing they will serve her throughout her life.

“I love just knowing that I can do hair," Celia said. “I've definitely thought of it as something on the side.” 

Thursday's Wildcuts Salon day was a great success. The student stylists and Ms. Bettello would like to thank all of the fabulous clients who made appointments and came in to help the students learn so much about their craft.

There are five more open-to-the-public dates at Wildcuts Coming up this year.

• January 15, 2026
• February 12, 2026
• March 12, 2026
• May 7, 2026
• June 4, 2026

For appointments: (845) 987-3050, ext. 22920.