26 July 2024
Fife College was delighted to welcome back one of its distinguished alumni, Tracey Aitken, who recently returned to share her inspiring journey from student to successful entrepreneur in the hairdressing industry.
Tracey presented her latest venture, the HairTracker app, to current hair and beauty students at the College’s Kirkcaldy Campus.
Designed to revolutionise hair stylists' efficiency by digitising client records, the HairTracker app has garnered national acclaim and earned Tracey a prestigious award from Innovate UK. The app underlines her commitment to innovation within the hairdressing community and aims to streamline operations for stylists while enhancing client experiences.
Throughout her illustrious career, Tracey has worked internationally, including working in salons on American air bases in Germany as well as owning and running two of her own successful hair and beauty salons and a barber shop.
Despite finding traditional academics challenging, Tracey first discovered her knack for creativity through hairdressing at College. Her breakthrough moment came when she was selected as one of four students from Scotland to showcase her skills at Salon International in London, where her team proudly claimed victory in their category.
Tracey, from Leven, said:
“I absolutely loved my time at Fife College, it pushed me outside my comfort zone, helped me build my people skills and confidence and taught me valuable life skills too. Even now I rely on what I learned in my course.
"I was thrilled to return to the College recently and share my journey with current students. My message to them is simple: dream big, believe in yourself, and never stop learning. Investing in yourself is the key to success."
Lyn Gold, Scholarship and Alumni Engagement Lead at Fife College, said:
"We are incredibly proud of Tracey's achievements and her dedication to the hairdressing profession.
“Her journey from a student here to an award-winning entrepreneur is truly inspiring. We were excited for some of our current students to hear her story and I am sure they will have been motivated by her success and innovation."
Fife College is celebrating the achievements of its alumni as part of the College’s 125th anniversary this year, inspiring current students through their success stories.
Further details about Fife College’s Alumni Programme can be found here.