West Suffolk College student Jess Sharp from Mildenhall opens Jessica’s Beauty near Bury St Edmunds and progresses to WorldSkills final

A beauty student who overcome meningitis has gone on to open her own salon and become a finalist in a prestigious national competition.

Jess Sharp, 18, from Mildenhall, studied on a level three beauty therapy course at West Suffolk College, based in Bury St Edmunds, last year.

Jess, who was diagnosed with and then overcame meningitis whilst studying at the college, has just opened a new salon in Barrow called Jessica’s Beauty.

She has also got through to the finals of a contest called WorldSkills.

In the first round, she was chosen as one of 70 people out of 380 applicants to progress to the semi-finals and then in the second phase she travelled to Birmingham to demonstrate her abilities in a number of different categories.

After a rigorous process, she was delighted to discover that she is one of eight people who will be involved in the WorldSkills finals that are taking place in Manchester this November.

Jess said: “I was shocked and excited when I found out I had progressed. I didn’t think I’d done very well so I was very emotional.”

In terms of the upcoming competition, she added: “I’m going to do my best and it would mean a lot if I became part of the Team UK squad. It would show me that all the hard work was worth it.”

If successful in the finals, winners get the chance to become part of Team UK where they get the chance to represent their country at a ‘Skills Olympics’ event, the next one taking place in Lyon in 2024.

West Suffolk College tutors are giving Jess regular support outside of their teaching hours.

Lecturer Karen Wright said: “We are so proud of Jess. This is the first time in West Suffolk College history that a beauty student has got this far.”

And former student Molly Rayner, who got to the final stages of WorldSkills 2022 in the field of hairdressing, is also supporting her.

Molly said: “If I can pass on what I have learned to Jess and the team it will be beneficial for everyone.

“My top tip is: do whatever you can to the best quality you can. And if something doesn’t go your way, forget it and move on quickly.”

In addition to her support of Jess and the college, Molly has just been chosen to become part of the British Fellowship of Hairdressers 2024 Clubstar art team.

After an auditioning process, Molly will now get the chance to travel the country as an ambassador, will be invited to a series of networking events and she will also be mentored by some of the best hairdressers in the country.

Molly, 20, from Snetterton who has set up her own company called ‘Hair by Molly’, said: “This is an amazing opportunity. I’m going to be taught lots of new skills and gain experiences that can only help me in the future.”