Calpurnia Reed Retires After 29 Years at Empire Beauty School Manhattan
Calpurnia Reed, an educator with 29 years of service at Empire Beauty School in Manhattan, New York, is retiring after a remarkable career dedicated to shaping students’ lives. In 2024, Reed was honored with the Educator of the Quarter award at Empire Beauty School. This recognition is given quarterly to the top educators in each region, celebrating their hard work and commitment to excellence.
Warren Payton, Executive Director at Empire Beauty School in Manhattan, NY, shares his excitement for Reed:
“Ms. Calpurnia Reed has been an amazing educator at the Manhattan Campus since 1995. Her expertise and educational intelligence is unmatched. She has often ranked number one in any educator evaluations done here in Manhattan. She is passionate when it comes to her students receiving top-quality education. Her customer dedication is top-tier. She will stop at nothing to ensure that her classroom is warm and inviting and always conducive to learning. Her students look forward to coming to school every day and they will get upset if she takes a PTO day. Ms. Reed doesn’t just care about the student who is in front of her but also the student who is not present. She will take the time to reach out to those students to ensure them that they are missed and are not taking advantage of a great opportunity to become a licensed professional. Ms. Reed is an impeccable dresser and she always looks professional and is a great role model for her students. Ms. Reed underwent a major health challenge that caused her to be out of work for several months and when she returned, it was full speed ahead; as if she were never gone. Ms. Reed was a proud recipient of Educator of the Quarter which she was very excited to receive. She will be missed beyond measure, the impact that she has made at Empire will never be forgotten. I wish her well in all of her future endeavors.”
Reed expresses her heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making her remarkable career possible.
“I appreciate the opportunity to work here and be here for so long. It was a learning experience, and what I learned here, I plan to take with me. I will never forget the 29 years I spent in this building. Empire is a great company to work for. I will miss my coworkers, we have a great relationship. In the mornings we discuss what we are doing for that day, if we have a problem we go to each other, even if we just need to vent. I will miss them the most. I will miss the students too, of course. I learn from the students just as much as they learn from me,” she shares.
Robert Curcio, Regional Senior Director at Empire Beauty School, notes just how irreplaceable and special Reed is.
“Ms. Reed came to Empire by storm and demonstrated the highest levels of commitment to both the Empire Family and her students. Ms. Reed was a leader of leaders, being referenced by others as the Godmother of education. She was a go-to educator who truly understood the execution of the curriculum, having played a part in the analytics of curriculum development in the past while also supporting the state in testing thousands of students over her tenure with Empire. She always moved with such poise and never appeared rattled by always maintaining classroom control ensuring students met expectations and were successful. She flourished in setting the foundation for students having been a part of the pre-salon modules for Empire during the majority of her time and then transitioned into proctor mode at night. Unreplaceable is probably the best word to use when describing her. Overall, Ms. Reed has a huge, kind heart and demonstrates to love working with her surrounding team members and school leadership while always having a positive outlook on things and life.”
Her inspiration to enter the beauty industry came from her older sister, who shared a similar passion.
“As a young girl, I always wanted to be a teacher but I wasn’t sure in what aspect. My sister then started in the beauty industry, so I followed behind her. Growing up, we always did each other’s hair,” Reed shares.
For Reed, the most memorable part is being with her coworkers and students. She finds it meaningful to watch them grow from day one and appreciates when her students return after graduating to share their experiences.
“My coworkers and management are amazing. Student-wise, I enjoy them. I love seeing where our students begin. When they first start, they come in not knowing much. Then you see a 360-degree turn which is exciting. I love watching them understand what I’m teaching them. I enjoy when our students graduate and come back to tell us they are now licensed, speak about their work experience, and talk about their success. About every 3 weeks, we get to meet new students. You always remember them. It Is memorable to see a former student come back as either an educator or an administrator. You don’t forget moments like that,” she says.
Reed offers valuable advice for those considering a career in the beauty industry.
“You have to be humble in this industry. People are not going to hand you anything. They will teach you and you have to be teachable. You must be willing to learn, be professional at all times, and be patient. You are always on stage. Nobody knows it all. If you are teachable, you will be successful. If you think you know everything, then that is a problem because no one can teach you anything. This industry is always evolving. You have to go with the flow,” Reed shares.
As Reed prepares for retirement, she is excited to start the next chapter of her life down in South Carolina.
“My biggest and most exciting plan is building a house in South Carolina. I am excited to decorate my new home and build my life back down in Carolina. My home is my main priority right now.”
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Calpurnia Reed for her years of dedication and service. Her impact on the Empire Beauty School community will be felt for years to come. We wish her all the best in this exciting next chapter.