In her 42 years, Cynthia Young has worn many hats, including tax preparer, mechanic and mother.

But now she colors, cuts and styles hair at N-Style Hair and Tanning Salon.

Young, a transfer student from Daymar College in Owensboro, has been a hairstylist for the past 16 years.

She has worked at N-Style, located near the Bate Shop, since August. She previously worked as a temp at the WKU Store, formerly the University Bookstore.

Hairstyling started off as a hobby for Young, but it’s something she plans on always doing.

“I intend to do hair and cosmetology until I can’t do it anymore,” she said. “As long as these hands are working, I’ll be working.”

A single mom of eight children, four currently in college, Young is pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology at WKU.

“Having eight children, I’ve seen a lot of different personalities and want to do something that’s beneficial toward someone else,” she said.

Young applies the same method to her work ethic.

“I treat my clients like family,” she said. “You just need to give people a good ear; they need you to listen.”

N-Style owner, Robin Owen, said Young is warm, friendly, caring and enthusiastic.

“She’s got lots of ideas as far as customer base,” Owen said.

 

 

Young explained that she has a very diverse and loyal clientele. People from Owensboro still make a trip to Bowling Green so she can do their hair.

One of her clients, Erica Stockton, said she’s very satisfied with Young’s work.

“She does everything I like,” Stockton said.

Young said she doesn’t limit herself to just ethnic hair styles because she never knows what someone’s needs are. Someone might come in asking for highlights, so she needs to know how to do them.

She said she always looks at people and thinks, “What can I do to their hair?”

Young graduated from Roger’s Academy of Hair Design in Evansville in 1994.

Among other jobs throughout her life, Young was an apprentice junior instructor at PJ’s College of Cosmetology in Bowling Green.

She said she liked teaching, but she prefers being behind the chair and doing hair instead.

A former cosmetology student of Young’s, Tiffany Ragland, said Young was her teacher for her freshman class, and Young still does her hair.

“I love how she does my hair,” she said. “I get compliments all the time.”