For years, Rylee Parsons thought she would become a pediatrician, but she disliked getting shots and did not like the thought of giving one to others, especially little children. It’s been just over four years since Rylee Parsons, a graduate in 2019, left the halls of Sutherlin High School as a student.
After high school, Rylee attended Umpqua Community College on an athletic scholarship in cross country and track, receiving an Association of Arts/Oregon Transfer Degree (AA/OT), a two-year degree issued to students who complete the full lower division college transfer program requirements of Oregon’s community colleges and public universities. While attending UCC, Rylee planned to transfer to a four-year college to pursue a degree to become a Special Education teacher.
In August of 2021, she returned to the halls of Sutherlin High School, this time as an Instructional Assistant working with high school special education students. At the end of the school year, Rylee was reconsidering the pursuit of a career as a special education teacher; it was then that one of her students suggested she check out beauty school. After considering the idea, Rylee contacted Northwest College School of Beauty in Springfield and began a Nail Technology & Esthetics program. She completed the program and received a certificate in Nail Technology & Esthetics. She then passed the Oregon State Board of Cosmetology tests for nails and esthetics to obtain her state licenses.
Rylee likes being self-employed as she sets her schedule, which is currently four workdays, beginning at 9 am and ending at 7 pm or 8 pm. She maintains a station at Heavenly Hair in Sutherlin, offering personal services such as manicures, pedicures, artificial nails, and eyelash extensions. Rylee believes it’s important not to be afraid to do what makes you happy.
She believes the courses taken during high school prepared her well for a self-employment career. She credits her economics class with Lindsey Baimbridge as being particularly beneficial for its lessons in utilizing personal finance methods. She also acknowledges that she was focused on her academics and paid attention in her classes, which helped her be successful. Rylee attended 1st through 12th grades in Sutherlin. It was challenging for her to juggle her busy schedule, accommodating study time, sports, FFA, Special Olympics Partners Club, bowling, and a social life. Rylee attributes her competitive FFA experiences in public speaking, parliamentary procedure, creed, meats, and dairy as enhancing her communication skills, skills she utilizes daily in her career. Competing in volleyball, cross-country, basketball, softball, and Special Olympics softball also benefited her skill set, giving her experience working as a team member and independently. Her supervised agriculture experience (SAE) was raising chickens, which, although not directly related to her career, taught her responsibility and time management. She is very aware from the moment her client sits at her station that they are putting their whole trust in her, a responsibility she does not take lightly.
Rylee lives in Sutherlin and enjoys exercising at the gym, running, and playing with her chocolate labrador.