Student Stars: Empire Grad says NYC is “Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me”

It’s been 2 and half years since Empire Beauty School graduate Kristie McGunnigle left her small, rural town near Williamsport, Pennsylvania for a new opportunity in New York City.

She had just won Empire’s Master Apprentice contest, beating out nearly a thousand other Empire students for a chance to become an apprentice at ARROJO Studio in the heart of Manhattan’s trendy SOHO neighborhood.

“To me, it’s a wild thought. To think I moved to the city to do hair. It’s still a surreal thing.”

After completing her apprenticeship at ARROJO, Kristie was promoted to a stylist at the popular salon.

“It’s so diverse and no clients are exactly alike so it gives you the chance to be so creative. You have so many things that you are influenced by and it carries into your work.”

But despite working in one of the busiest and most popular salons in Manhattan, Kristie decided it was time to grow even more, accepting a position at another top New York City salon, Fringe.

A staple on the Lower East Side, the salon recently opened a second location in Brooklyn.

Kristie is a full time stylist at Fringe Brooklyn, cutting, coloring and styling her clients to perfection. Fringe also offers her the continuing education she valued at ARROJO, while giving her a chance to be even more creative in her craft.

“To find a salon that will give you education should be the one thing you are looking for. In the hair industry there is a lot of us. So you have to be that much better.”

Kristie credits her time at Empire Beauty School as the foundation for her successful start. “Being at Empire and being surrounded by such knowledgeable educators, they believe in you and they help you with every aspect of your journey.”

She encourages all future professionals to conquer any fears of the unknown, and go after the career you want to have.

“If you have a little piece of you that wants to move and venture out, I say do it. There is always the chance to go back to what you were doing, but you can’t go back in time.”

As for moving back home, Kristie says she has no plans to do so anytime in the near future. The hustle and bustle of New York City is a far cry from rural Pennsylvania, and for now, that’s just how she likes it.

“The city just has so much to offer. It’s really cliché, but there really is no place like it. Now this is home to me.”