In this recurring monthly special, Nonahood News will be featuring those who’ve graduated from Lake Nona High School and will recognize the achievements they’ve made since. Some will have been a part of the first graduating class. Others might have graduated a few years later. Few have stayed in the Lake Nona area, and many have explored the world or are still doing so. Let’s see where life’s journey has taken them so far!
Name: Aixa Bayala
Age: 22
Year Graduated: 2013
Occupation: Hairstylist & Instructor
Current Location: Oviedo, Fla.
This month, I sat down with Aixa Bayala, not only for the story but also because I was in dire need of a haircut. Guys, I’m serious…it had been over a year since my last cut. What a great way to catch up!
Aixa and her family moved to the Lake Nona area in early 2009 as they were looking for a great place for her father to retire and enjoy his free time. Many of us residents know that the Nonahood is a great fit for that, especially with all that is developing nowadays.
Aixa has always had a passion for the beauty industry, but she wasn’t quite sure which aspect of it. “There is so much you can do! So, right after high school, I went to Valencia College to pursue my Associate’s degree but later decided that wasn’t what I needed to be doing at the moment. I enrolled at Paul Mitchell The School Orlando in January of 2014, in a class with 13 other individuals that had similar stories. It was nice to be creative and see your work come to life. [In] December 2014, I finished at Paul Mitchell and landed a job at The Red Scarlet Salon in Thornton Park.”
She began working as a receptionist/assistant for about eight months before she was entirely behind the chair styling her own clients and growing her clientele. “Although working behind the chair as a full-time hairstylist was awesome, I felt like something was missing. Coincidentally, I got offered to come back and work at Paul Mitchell The School Orlando in December 2016. So, it’s been a year teaching at Paul Mitchell, and I love every minute. I’ve met so many incredibly talented students!”
In five years, Aixa hopes to own a salon in the Lake Nona area since most of her clients make the drive to Thornton Park to get their hair done, and now I’m one of them. However, I was so happy with the outcome and transformation of my hair that the trip was totally worth it!
“I’m so passionate about the industry that I am in and ready for any new opportunities that may come my way! I am so grateful to have such a supportive fiancé by my side who is also my high school sweetheart to go on this journey called life with!”
Written for current and future Lake Nona alumni by a Lake Nona alumna. Check back in to our January issue to learn about our next Nona graduate(s)!
