A Purpose-Driven Pathway: Take Five with Angela Smith

Take Five is a series that highlights members of the CPS community who are going above and beyond for our students. All throughout the 2024–25 school year, we will be spotlighting our amazing CPS teachers! If you know a teacher who is making a difference, nominate them to be featured here.

Meet Angela Smith, a cosmetology teacher at Chicago Vocational High School (CVS)!

Ms. Smith joined CVS after working professionally as a stylist and business owner in the cosmetology industry for more than 35 years. Throughout her career, she has learned that she thrives on creativity and entrepreneurship and opened up two of her own professional salons. Now, she loves paying it forward by passing on her wealth of knowledge and experience to the next generation, with the ultimate goal of her students earning their cosmetology licenses.

At CVS, Ms. Smith manages a space that includes four classrooms, a locker room, two bathrooms, and a 40-chair salon. Although a challenge, Ms. Smith loves how purpose-driven this stage of her career is. She also enjoys seeing how much her students grow over the course of a year—not to mention how much laughter they bring to her life on a daily basis!

“Ms. Smith has had a phenomenal impact on our cosmetology program,” said Principal Latasha Taylor. “She has redesigned her classroom space so that it mirrors a professional salon, and she works closely with community partners like professional estheticians and barbers to broaden her students’ horizons. In addition to teaching cosmetology, she teaches her students how to be responsible, confident, poised, and ready for their future.”

Learn more about Ms. Smith below!

What are the top career and life skills that students are learning in your class?

There are so many different pathways under the cosmetology umbrella that students can pursue, like hair stylist, platform artist, esthetician, lash artist, sales distributor, or teacher, just to name a few. I want to give my students exposure to as many pathways as possible so they can find their niche.

Beyond the technical skills, the number one most important skill I’m teaching my students is professionalism. I also want to build my students’ self esteem. I want them to be confident in themselves and their skills so they can show up ready to do the job well!

One of your skills is bringing community partnerships to the classroom. Can you tell us about a partnership that is especially impactful for your students?

After School Matters! This program runs through the spring, summer, and fall and gives my students the chance to earn an income while moving ahead in the cosmetology program, learning new techniques, and preparing for state boards in a safe and structured environment. This partnership has shown me how important community resources are for preparing young people for success.

What message do you want to send to your students?

Don't give up. Look at the big picture: you have a big opportunity right now, so don’t give up on yourself and miss it. Keep fighting for your future!

Can you share one of your favorite memories from your time at CVS?

It was very important to me to make my space look and feel like a professional salon. I put a ton of work into decluttering and beautifying the space, especially over the summer. I will always remember my students’ reactions when they came back to school after break and saw how beautiful everything looked!

What do you like doing when you’re not teaching?

I love spending time with my twin 10-year-old grandbabies every Friday. I also have a great circle of friends—we like to play games, bowl, and dance together!