Alesia Averill of Mount Dora is Lake Technical College’s 2021-22 Student of the Year.
Each year, faculty members nominate students who demonstrate professionalism, teamwork, academic achievement and an exemplary attitude towards students, faculty and staff.
“It was an honor to be nominated with seven other students for this award and I was definitely surprised and shocked to hear my name called out at the graduation ceremony,” said Averill, a cosmetology student who grew up in the post-Soviet country of Belarus, where she worked as a social worker. She immigrated to the United States, found a sense of security, and began pursuing future entrepreneurship opportunities.
Averill said she is drawn to cosmetology because she understands how important self-image is to the psychology of an individual. “I want to celebrate their triumphs and console them on the difficult days. I want to help people look their best inside and out,” she said.
When asked what she would say to others to encourage them to pursue a career technical education, Averill urges them to be determined.
“If you want something, you can do it! Follow your dreams and follow your heart,” she said. “If I can do this in my 30s with a husband, two young children and from another country – you can too.”
Averill expressed how grateful she was for her instructors, Tonia Whalen, Bonnie Holcomb, and Charity Correa. “My instructors made every effort for anyone that wanted to succeed, would succeed,” she said.
Averill built self-confidence in herself at Lake Technical College and is returning to the workforce after seven years of raising her children. She is currently working as an apprentice for Mia Bella Salon & Spa in Fruitland Park and is actively building her clientele.
Lake Technical College is a public, post-secondary institution that offers high quality training for over 30 career and technical programs, as well as adult education classes for GED and ESOL. The main campus is located at 2001 Kurt St. in Eustis. The Institute of Public Safety is located at 1565 Lane Park Cutoff in Tavares. For more information, visit the school’s website https://www.laketech.org, or call 352-589-2250.
