Benton woman’s business changes lives of students
Misty Wright, the owner and operator of Benton Beauty Academy on Edison Avenue, has quietly transformed the lives of many in her community since 2011.
The school is currently busting at the seams and looking to expand, but it wasn’t always this way.
When she was younger, Wright initially wanted to work with animals. She then spent 15 years alongside her now ex-husband as a plumber. Following this, she served as a financial aid administrator at a hair salon for 18 years before embarking on her own business venture.
A few years into her new career, Wright was certain she would have to close shop.
“My business partner came in one day and said ‘We cannot continue to go like this, we’ll have to close.’ So I said OK,” said Wright, and she went home and prayed.
“I prayed so hard and said ‘Lord, if this is not where you want me to be, go ahead and close the door, put me on the path you want me to be. And I tell you, within three weeks, baby, I was booked. I had my limit, my 25 students,” said Wright.
The core mission of Benton Beauty Academy, Inc., is to provide students with quality education, empowering them to pass their State Board Examinations and advance in their own cosmetology professions. The school offers continuous programs in cosmetology, teacher training, manicuring, and esthetics.
Kristi Clinton, one of Wright’s students and closest friends, is graduating in December and has already secured a job at RM Skin Bar in
Benton.
“Misty took me under her wing, and she had more faith in me than I did in myself,” said Clinton. “And it’s not just with me -- she truly cares about people, about everybody. She loves her students, she wants us to learn.”
The academy offers low-cost services to clients and various payment options to students, doing their best to make sure finances are not a barrier to education.
The school welcomes students from all over, offering hands-on training that is invaluable for their careers.
The public is welcome to make appointments for services ranging from cosmetology to manicures and pedicures and everything in between. Services are performed by students under the supervision of an instructor.
Unlike some programs that lack practical experience, Wright’s cosmetology program emphasizes a 1,500-hour program that can be completed in as little as nine months and for a fraction of the cost.
The Benton Beauty Academy is currently bustling with 29 students and a constant flow of clients, so it’s no wonder Wright is looking to expand.
Mitzi Hewitt, a client of Wright’s since she opened the academy, described the shop as a second home that she has visited weekly since 2011. After losing both her son and daughter in 2023, Hewitt has found deeper solace and companionship in the shop’s community and now visits at least every other day whether she’s getting her hair done or bringing doughnuts.
“There ain’t no other place to go,” said Hewitt. “Misty is the best, she treats you like a
queen. It’s awesome down here, not just Misty. All of the women are totally sweet and go beyond the call of duty.”
For Wright, that’s always true. On top of running a business that’s also a school, Wright spends her spare time
with her son and nearly all of her free days volunteering at local assisted living centers providing manicures, pedicures.
Soon she is going to start taking a collection of strong students to visit nursing homes and provide hair cuts, stylings, manicures, and more to those in the homes.
“I know how hard life
can be, and so I want to give back,” said Wright who credits her determination to her faith and her encouragement from loved ones.
“We just have love for each other,” said Clinton. “Some days are hard, some days are bad, some days are terrible, but at the end of the day we all make it through together.”