oral history

What makes a person interesting that they’re worth reading about I chose my cousin for this interview because I love the lifestyle she lives and hope to have a lifestyle when I get settled with my career.
Claudia Martinez was born April 12, 1985 in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up with an older and younger brother and her mother and father. She grew up in the south side of Chicago and went to Nathan Davis Elementary School. She loved to play sports as a child such as basketball, volleyball, and softball. She had many friends growing up which gave her the confidence to be very successful as an adult.
Her interests and hobbies are she listens to a variety of music, which introduces her to a variety of people. Rock, pop, Spanish, hip-hop, dance, anything with a good beat. She tells me that she loves to watch romantic movies like “The Notebook.” She likes to go partying and clubbing which I think is so cool because that is a lot of fun to do. She loves her family and likes to spend a lot of time with them. She has a nice Volkswagen car so she can get to many places and enjoy herself.
I can remember all my life Claudia enjoyed styling people to make them look their best. That is how she ended up choosing her career to wanting to be a professional cosmetologist. She attended Pivot Point cosmetology school in the North side of Chicago. She learned so much at school giving her essentials to being the greatest stylist I know! That school really taught her a lot and had great teachers in her words.
She attended Curie High School and attended all four years. She was always in activities and participated in many school activities. She had a lot of school spirit and was proud to go there. She said her favorite memory about high school was senior prom. She had many friends and memories and sad to leave it but excited she graduated class of 2004.
She always knew that hair and makeup was meant for her and I can say it truly was. She puts so much effort into what she does no wonder she is so talented. For so many people to always want to come to her just shows how good she is. People trust her on how she will style them and never let them down.
She had to start small to become such the success she is now. She worked at small salon near her house and worked there for two years. This was her first job ever and she was so happy that she was doing something with her career. Her boss loved her and had many clients as a new stylist to the team. She loved working there she will never forget the salon that gave her first opportunity. Yet she loved working there she knew there was bigger places for her to see.
My cousin had talked to her about a new salon that was opening and he got her an interview with the boss. After meeting, her boss loved Claudia and saw such a huge potential that she hired her right at that moment. She was now working at BCS salon that associates with Paul Mitchell a huge man in the hair and makeup business. She knew that all her hard work had really paid off.
Working at BCS really gave her many opportunities in life she was traveling the world, meeting famous people, and being part of fashion shows. She was a part of things that you only see on TV how the rich and famous live. She was my cousin who I looked at more as an older sister I never had. She was doing it all and was just 21. If doing all this is not interesting then I do not know what is. She tells me about how hard work, dedication, and commitment can really pay off and I truly think it did.
She traveled to Paris, Las Vegas, New York, Tokyo, and Hollywood; all these places inspired her fashion sense and learned so much more to becoming even better. She was part of fashion shows held in Chicago where they wanted the best to work for them. She was just so grateful to be part of the fashion world and how much it has done for her as a person. She always was confident in herself but being a part of the fashion industry made her grow so much as a person and hoping the best is to come.
She currently still works at BCS and still involved in many projects. She is now 23 and planning to start a life on her own with her soon to be husband. I really hope the best for her because she really deserves it. If there is one thing she leaves with me is telling me “do something you love and push yourself to becoming that successful person you will love.”