When a local high school called Empire Beauty School looking for a makeup artist to help with a mock DUI crash, Keaton Froseth believes he knows exactly who had sent them.
The 22-year-old salon level student at EBS in Harrisburg, PA had just lost his grandmother the month before in an automobile accident, and he felt this was her way of providing him a bit of closure. “The makeup artist they had lined up canceled the night before,” says Froseth. “All I could think was this was my grandmother’s way of sending me a message.”
Froseth says it wasn’t long ago he was struggling with depression, unsure of where his life was taking him. He spoke to his grandmother often about his struggles to find his way. He says cosmetology was always something he was interested in, and when he finally made the decision to enroll in school, he found his passion, and a way to help others feel confident and purposeful.
“I believe feeling good about how you look on the outside helps you feel better on the inside. I enjoy introducing people to new and different things. It’s art.”
Along with hair, special effects makeup has long been a passion for Froseth. So volunteering his time to step in as a makeup artist for the mock DUI crash simulation at Northern High School in Dillsburg, PA just seemed like fate.
“It was surreal for everyone involved. The paramedics told me what type of injuries the actors had based off of real-life situations. Everything from head injuries to neck lacerations, hemorrhages, and broken bones. It’s the reality of these types of crashes, and helping the community and high school students understand the dangers of DUI was something I was proud to do.”
Outside of beauty school, Froseth is an active peer counselor, working with at-risk youth in his community. “I’ve realized beauty and counseling are a really good mix. It feels good to help people in many ways.”
Now, just weeks away from graduating beauty school, he is working as an assistant at a local salon and has a chair waiting for him after graduation. Eventually, Froseth says he’d like to open his own salon with a community center attached. A place young adults can go after school for support and mentoring.
As for his grandmother, Froseth says he believes she is proud of where he is headed with his future, and how it will help others in ways he never thought possible.
If you are interested in learning more about a future in cosmetology, please fill out the online form on this page or call us at 1 (800) 964-1328. For important consumer info, please visit www.empire.edu/ge