AGHS Student Lucy Gibson (’27) is characterized as a scholar, a volleyball athlete, and a friend to most of her peers. In Gibson’s free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her friends, and doing unique nail designs. According to Gibson, her main pursuit is being a full-time student and volleyball athlete for Flight Academy. 

“One priority of mine as a student and an athlete is definitely my grades; I want to go to a good college like SDSU or Cal Poly SLO. I strive for good grades but also allow myself to have fun with my friends in high school,” Gibson said.

One of Gibson’s top priorities is getting her nails done. She’s enjoyed the thrill of a fresh set since she was a little girl; nail art and design has always been an interest of hers.

“I would say the spark of my nail business journey is when I stopped going to my friend to get my nails done because it was too expensive for me. I bought all my own [supplies] and practiced doing it myself, and it saved me hundreds of dollars,” Gibson said.

Gibson’s nail business goes beyond financial benefits and collaboration with her clients builds new relationships to form while her artistic creativity is enhanced.

“I don’t get too much money for doing other people’s nails, but my favorite part is definitely getting to know my clients; I get to be involved in the drama in their lives,” Gibson said.

Practicing nail art allows Gibson to practice self-education and unique creativity.

“I [taught] myself how to do nails. I wasn’t the best at following tutorials online, so I just taught myself and ended up being really good,” Gibson said.

Nail art is a form of creative self-expression— each nail is transformed into a tiny customizable canvas with endless possibilities like 3D styles, french tip, mini designs by small ink tools, gems, chrome, and long or short acrylic. Gibson draws inspiration from social media apps like Pinterest and TikTok, or from clients’ imaginations.

“The most difficult set I’ve done was a snowflake design. It was a nude base, white french tip, with tiny, intricate snowflakes on each pointer and ring finger. [I’d] never done a design so tiny, but after many attempts, it ended up looking great,” Gibson said. 

Gibson doesn’t want to pursue a career in nail design, but she hopes to keep her tiny business alive through her college experience. 

“I want to continue doing people’s nails throughout college— just a little business and not a huge thing,” Gibson said. “I would bring my own little kit to college.”

Self-owned businesses in high school can allow students to expand their identities as more than students. Students can develop necessary skills for their futures, while working for a personalized income. Running a business requires overcoming obstacles and thinking creatively.