Paul Mitchell Graduates Honored at Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards

(Photo L-R: Cory Rotenberg, Dean Banowetz, MeaganHerrera-Schaaf, Sandra Robles)

The 2017 Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards honored the talented professionals who create the looks for Hollywood’s most memorable characters and stars of stage, screen, television and the Internet. Dean Banowetz, “The Hollywood Hair Guy,” took home two awards this year—Best Contemporary Hairstyling for Dancing with the Stars, and Best Hair Styling for So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. But he was even more excited about his two protégés and their achievements.

Cory Rotenberg, a graduate of Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa, was Dean’s Key Hairstylist on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation and received the award along with him.

Meagan Herrera-Schaaf, a graduate of Paul Mitchell The School Great Lakes, was nominated for her work as Key Hair Stylist on The Voice. Last year she won the Best Contemporary Hair Styling award for Pitch Perfect 2.

“We all decided to pitch in and take Sandra Robles," a recent graduate of Paul Mitchell The School Pasadena, "as our date so she could experience what an amazing night it was,” Dean said.

Banowetz, the locks wizard behind celebrities Leeza Gibbons, Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Tony Robbins, and Shark Tank’s Lori Greiner, is a frequent and popular guest artist at Paul Mitchell Schools. Over the years, he has offered countless opportunities for students to assist him on various projects.

• One notable success story is Meagan Herrera-Schaaf. Shortly before graduating, she won a retail sales contest at her school. The prize was a two-day trip to Los Angeles to work with Dean on American Idol. When she told him about her goals and dreams, Dean advised her to work in a salon for six months, then come back to Hollywood as an American Idol intern. Meagan jumped at the chance, did a great job, and was offered the position as Dean’s assistant on American Idol the following season. Since then her career has flourished: her numerous TV and movie credits include Jack Reacher, The Hunger Games, America’s Got Talent, The X Factor, Clean House, and more.
  
  
• When Dean visited Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa, Cory Rotenberg stayed behind to introduce herself. She gripped his hand, told him her name, and said, “I will be working for you from now on!” Soon after, Dean called Cory and asked her to assist him on a TV segment with Leeza Gibbons. Over the next four years, Cory worked with Dean, learning advanced cutting and coloring and traveling the world to work on movies. Her TV and film credits include The Last Ship, Marry Me, The New Girl, Catching Fire Hunger Games, and more.
  
  
• Sandra Robles was a student at Paul Mitchell The School Pasadena when she volunteered to help with Dean’s book signing in June 2016. He plucked her out of the crowd to model some of the tips and tricks from his book. A few months later, she was invited to assist Meagan Herrera-Schaaf in the hair department on America’s Got Talent for three weeks. As that project ended, Meagan connected her with Dean. Fast-forward to 2017, when Sandra had the opportunity to assist Dean on World of Dance with Jennifer Lopez. “In those five weeks on set, I was immersed in a creative, artistic hair boot camp with Dean, Cory, and Meagan as my hair mentors,” Sandra says. “I like to call it ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Dean,’ since we have all assisted Dean at one point and we'll forever be connected as a hair family.” 

“I want to personally thank the Paul Mitchell Schools for giving these amazing people an awesome foundation of learning and developmental skills,” Dean added. “I don’t have any children but my adoptive hair family is growing and doing really strong work with purpose and intention. I’m very proud of how far these women have taken their careers and their motivation. Here’s to many more Future Professionals in my future!” 

Winn Claybaugh, dean and cofounder of Paul Mitchell Schools, adds, “We are honored to have inspiring mentors like Dean Banowetz in our Paul Mitchell Schools family, and equally proud of the future professionals who choose to ‘say yes’ when presented with opportunities to learn and grow.”

To learn more about careers in the beauty industry, visit www.paulmitchell.edu.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

Dean Banowetz:  IG @dbano, Twitter @deanbanowetz, FB fan page dean banowetz

ABOUT PAUL MITCHELL SCHOOLS

At Paul Mitchell Schools, we believe that education is an adventure and the learning experience needs to be fun and well rounded. Our courses focus on important technical skills and business knowledge with an emphasis on social and community responsibility. Our learning leaders are trained to draw out the artist in our students and prepare them to enter their chosen careers as community-conscious salon and spa professionals. Through our annual “FUNraising” campaign, we’ve raised and donated over $16.7 million in support of many charitable causes. We’ve built homes with Habitat for Humanity, fed thousands of African orphans, and supported the victims of AIDS, breast cancer, homelessness, abuse, and hundreds of other causes.

Established over 35 years ago, the Paul Mitchell network is nearly 100,000 salons strong and in 81 countries worldwide; every professional hairdresser knows the Paul Mitchell name. Now, with the arrival of Paul Mitchell Schools, we’ve taken the world of cosmetology education by storm! Visit www.paulmitchell.edu to learn more.

ABOUT LOCAL 706

The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE, Local 706) was chartered in November 1937. Today, membership includes over 1,900 artisans in the entertainment industry worldwide. Local 706 members are make-up artists and hair stylists who have created the looks for Hollywood’s most memorable characters and stars of stage, screen, television and now the Internet. The wide-ranging domains of these artists include feature films and television, commercials; “live” network television, all types of theatrical productions and Disneyland theme parks. Local 706 Members have created notable characters competing for Academy Awards®, Primetime Emmys®, Daytime Entertainment Emmys®, Saturn Awards®, BAFTA Awards®, and many other honors for make-up and hair styling artistry including their own Hollywood Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards. 

* * * * *