Janas Cosmetology Academy is among five in the country that will receive grants from Beyoncé's charity foundation to award scholarships to students.
But things changed when her mother needed a break, and Johnson had to take over her hair salon business in 2003 at 17. She added Janas Cosmetology Academy in 2021 to help others achieve their dreams of becoming a stylist, barber, nail technician, or esthetician. Along with Janas, the foundation founded by the megastar selected four other cosmetology schools — in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles — to receive a total of $250,000 in grants. The funds will be used at each school to award five scholarships of $10,000.
“It was a surreal moment,” Johnson said. She believes the grant will be “life-changing” for her school and students. Located in a strip mall on Blackwood-Clementon Road, the school is housed in a sparkling 6,000-square-foot building. There are several classrooms, labs and a practice salon where students demonstrate skills learned. A sign on a wall reads, “All dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
About 120 students have graduated from the school since 2021, Johnson said. The school’s students have a 98% pass rate on the state licensing exam, she said. After the exam, students must work under a licensed stylist for 30 days before they can work independently., the salon started by Johnson’s mother, Wanda, 30 years ago. The salon’s name comprises the first letter of her four children: Jamal, Atiya, Nasir, and Ayanna.