Kennewick will soon be home to a new bilingual beauty school with a focus on accessibility, the first of its kind in the city. 

The Elite Institute of Modern Aesthetics (EIMA) will offer courses in aesthetics and nail technology in both English and Spanish along with a variety of schedule options when it opens for business this summer.

The school will help bolster offerings in Eastern Washington, according to owner and founder Julieana Mendez, who grew up in the Tri-Cities. 

When she explored beauty schools in the region for her own education, she was dismayed with the choices. 

“My options here were very limited, and I actually went and toured some schools out in Seattle, Spokane, but nothing truly convinced me,” she said. 

Mendez opted to fly to Utah every week to attend the National Institute of Medical Aesthetics, and along the way, she wondered why Eastern Washington didn’t have a specialized school like that.

Now, she’s bringing what she learned back to the Tri-Cities.

Construction on the school at 7275 W. Clearwater Ave. is underway.

Course offerings

Mendez said that EIMA stands apart from other schools because of its specialties. Others may offer courses in everything from cosmetology to massage therapy, but EIMA focuses solely on skin and nails.

EIMA will offer a 750-hour course in esthetics, a 450-hour course in advanced aesthetics, designed for professionals who are already licensed and want to get a master’s degree, and a 1,200-hour master’s in aesthetics course that combines both of those two parts. 

A 600-hour nail technology course also is available.

The courses run from anywhere between 18 weeks to 30 weeks, depending on the type of course and whether the course is being taken full-time or part-time. 

The prices range from $11,930 for the nail tech program to $14,880 for the 750-hour aesthetics course to $26,985 for the combined master’s course. 

Until the program has operated for two years, it does not qualify for federal student aid, like FAFSA, Mendez said, so it’s up to students to get a personal loan from their bank if they need it.

Construction on the building that will be home to EIMA won’t wrap up until June so the first courses will launch in early August, but enrollment is already open.

By late March, 22 students had signed up across the various courses, and Mendez hopes to get at least 40 total. 

Four licensed instructors, along with four student-instructors, or people who have had their license for a few years, will teach the classes, Mendez said. She’ll teach some of the classes in addition to overseeing operations.

Classes will be capped at 10 students, half of the capacity allowed in Washington – that will be something else that sets the school apart, she said.

They’ll be able to serve 220 students in the school at full capacity.

Accessibility 

EIMA will offer courses in both English and Spanish. Classes in the Spanish program will be fully taught in Spanish, and exams will be in Spanish, too, even at the Washington state licensure level. 

Mendez said only the practical exam must be completed in English, but students don’t need to talk for that exam. They just need to demonstrate their skills. 

Another accessible aspect of the school is flexible class schedules. Part-time as well as full-time schedules are available, allowing people who work full-time to take classes without quitting their job for months on end. Mendez said the flexibility is designed to enable single moms to take the courses, and it’s something other beauty schools are lacking. 

“I hate knowing that people are unable to follow their dreams and … reach their beauty goals and careers due to not having flexible schedules where they can still work,” she said. 

Up to 30% of the program can be completed online, giving students even more options to complete their schoolwork. They’ll be able to do some reading or homework on their own time, then go over it in a classroom setting.

Accessibility even factored into the planned layout of the building. Located in a 7,000-square-foot building owned by developer Jason Zook’s LLC, Mendez said her school will have three classrooms, with two on the second floor and one strategically located on the first floor for students in wheelchairs or with other needs. 

Mendez said her startup costs, including equipment, furnishings and initial staffing, are covered through her personal savings and a line of credit with Gesa Credit Union. ZK Builders, Zook’s construction company, is serving as the general contractor for the project, she said. “When we first connected, Jason believed in my business plan and committed to handling the full build-out through his company,” Mendez said.

Outside of school

The school won’t just be for students. Like other beauty schools in the area, the public will be able to make appointments for student services at discounted rates. 

Mendez also plans to open up a coffee shop on the first floor of the building, envisioned not only as a place where students can hang out and study, but also where the public can come in to get coffee. 

“That way we can get a little more exposure to the school,” she said. 

The coffee shop might open as early as late June, but it’s not the only operation Mendez has underway.

She also plans to open her own salon, Elevate Aesthetic Studio, at 7303 W. Canal Drive, Suite B102, in Kennewick.

Originally, Mendez meant for the salon to be a practice space for students, separate from the school building. But once she got the chance to launch the school on Clearwater Avenue, a building with plenty of space of its own, the salon on Canal Drive didn’t need to be for students anymore.

Still, she plans to use the space to help nurture new graduates.

“I feel that students, when they’re going through their program, sometimes they might lack confidence, especially once they graduate into starting either on their own or somewhere,” Mendez said. “And so the intention with the salon is also to hire some new grads from the school, for those that … want to continue practicing their skills, and just kind of like be the stepping stone for something even greater for them eventually if they want to go out on their own.”

A soft launch of the salon is planned for late April, with a grand opening in May. 

Elite Institute of Modern Aesthetics: 7275 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, eimainstitute.com.