Salon professional Dave Corpuz share the reasons he chose to be part of the beauty industry.

Dave Corpuz, stylist at Paul Brown Salon in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Why I chose beauty:

Dave Corpuz

"I was born and raised in Haleiwa, Hawaii, located on the North Shore of Oahu, renowned for its huge winter surf at Waimea Bay. As a child growing up in the '70s I would say I had a normal childhood, falling in love with the outdoors.

"When I was young you could either find me fishing or hunting in the mountains. After graduating from high school I wanted to join the military, but I had to wait until my 18th birthday. While waiting for the eight months to pass to reach sign-up day, I spent my time at the local pool hall. One evening while playing a game of pool, I complained that my hair was getting in the way of my shot. My buddy said his girlfriend could cut my hair. The three of us went to my house and in my front yard, she cut my hair into what she called a shag. I had never heard of or even seen a shag before. Neither had anyone else in my hometown.

"Several months later, to my surprise, I began noticing all my buddies were getting their hair cut in some version of the shag style. That's when I realized how a hair cut could change a person and I began thinking of going into the hair business.

"My 18th birthday came and I signed up to serve in the military. After serving six years, I was ready to begin the next phase of my life, but not sure which direction to take. We were living in Texas at the time and I was going to a barber, Carlos, in an isolated area. Carlos became my barber, hair stylist and mentor. I had many conversations with him about becoming a stylist and he encouraged me to pursue my interest. He even gave me my first scissors and comb! It was then I decided to return to Hawaii to pursue my dream of becoming a professional hairdresser, using my G.I. Bill benefit to attend a cosmetology school. After nine and a half months, I graduated and ended up at a top salon, eventually becoming part of its educational team.

"I firmly believe my past work history from my years in the military to my management experience at a KFC has molded me to be a disciplined and detail-oriented person. This ability proved essential when I decided to help two co-workers open a new salon, assisting them with personnel management, operation, a training program and staffing. In 1997 I moved to the prestigious Paul Brown Salon where I continue to enjoy the art of hairdressing.

"I still seek relaxation outdoors, hunting big game and fishing but more importantly, I have become the stylist I had set out to be."