Most people pursuing a career have a goals list centered around expanding their skill set, making industry connections and getting their work recognized. Miles George has that list, too.
But for him, it’s already a list of accomplishments. “I like to stay extremely busy,” the student says.
Now a freshman communications major at California Lutheran University, George has been a working makeup artist since he was 15.
While a student at Vista Ridge (Texas) High School, he honed his natural abilities in the SkillsUSA cosmetology program, culminating in 2009 with a gold medal in Esthetics at the state competition and a silver at nationals.
It was during his time as a cosmetology student that George discovered a second love: photography.
“It stemmed from me photographing my own work as a makeup artist, and then it just developed,” he says, no pun intended.
His skills landed him a position with Luxe Apothetique, an upscale boutique in Austin. There, George branched out even further.
“I did the advertising for them exclusively,” he says. “I shot the ads, did the makeup, styled everything and put them in the magazines.”
Those accomplishments led to a position he still holds: freelance makeup artist with MAC Cosmetics, the leader in the industry. All the while, George was adding dual-credit courses to his high school schedule to get a jump on college.
Today, busier than ever, the 19-year-old is well on his way to a promising career. George credits SkillsUSA with “jumpstarting my success.”
The student adds that “growing up in a very warm, nurturing environment has allowed me to grow as a person and find my own way.”
As George’s skills and reputation grow, many people on the lookout for talent are finding their way to him as well.
