Meet Harley VanDyke!

Harley VanDyke

ICA: Hello Harley!
Harley: Hi!


ICA: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Harley: I am 20 years old and was born in Grand Rapids. When I was about 3 years old, I moved to Ionia. I was home-schooled so I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's place because she helped my Mom with the schooling. When I was 16 years old, I moved back to Grand Rapids. In 2013, I finished school and got a job at ABC Coating. After a few months, I changed jobs and started working at D & W.  I started saving money for the nail technician at this point. In July of just this year, I had the money, so I paid for my program in full and began the nail technician program.

ICA: Why Nail Technician?

Harley: I always loved doing nails. I would practice on family and friends. When I was 16 years old, I got my first acrylic set which got me seriously thinking about nails as a career.


ICA: So, what do you want to do with your license once you get it?

Harley: I would like to work in a nail salon.  Long-term, I would still like to being working in a salon, but you never know. We'll see where it goes.


ICA: So, why do the Nail Technician program now?

Harley:  Well, I needed to save up for the program so it took a little bit of time. But, I also felt ready. Nothing was stopping me from starting now. I still work while going to school, so it works out well.

ICA: Do you have a good support system?

Harley: Yep. My Mom, my grandparents, my sister, and Carol, who is a family friend.

ICA: What is your favorite and least favorite part of the Nail Technician program?

Harley: My favorite part of the program is learning about nails. I like learning new things. I also really enjoy hanging out and talking with all the nice and fun students and staff. My least favorite part of the program is when you run out of things to do, so you need to keep yourself busy, whether you want to do it or not.

ICA: What is the school/life balance like?

Harley: On a typical day, I go to school at 8:30 am and stay until 4:30pm. I head to work around 5:00pm and get out about midnight. I head home and get to bed so I can get up and do it all over again! It is tiring. If I do get home early, I have a little bit of free time to catch up on my television shows.

ICA: What is some advice you have for future nail tech students?

Harley: You have to be determined! Once you get on the salon floor and take real clients, there is a lot more freedom in the program. It is really easy to just not show up. It is important to have self-discipline. If you really want it, it's worth it.


Feel free to call 616.248.3335 to request Harley for an appointment! :)