Twenty-nine Beautiful Years: Congratulations on Your Retirement, Mrs. Cepro!
Amelia Hogue, Cosmetology Class of 2020
Mrs. Jodi Cepro has taught cosmetology at LCCTC for twenty-nine years. Wow --that’s dedication right there! That is twenty-nine years of nothing but smiles. Twenty-nine years of bringing sunshine to every room she walked into. Twenty-nine years of a contagious sense of love brought to everyone around her. And now, after twenty-nine years, she is closing up her tool kit for the final time and taking steps toward making other parts of the world a more beautiful place.
To her, teaching was not a “crappy job’’ that she had to wake up to; it was her life. She put everything she had into teaching. We had a family connection that could never be broken. Every day was not easy for her, but she always acted out of love for her profession and love for her students. She had an everlasting love and passion for education.
Mrs. Cepro has always had her hands in education. Before coming to LCCTC, she was a graduate of LCCTC class of 1976 -- for cosmetology, of course. She studied at IUP for her Science in Education (Bachelor's Degree), Master of Education (Secondary School Counselor) at Westminster and Cooperative Education at IUP. Mrs. Cepro also taught at The New Castle Beauty School for a few years.
In 1977 Mrs. Cepro opened her first salon named Good Looks Styling Salon. Not long after, she married her husband of 42 years and had her first child of three. To take care of her family, she chose to close her first salon. In 1980, she decided to return to entrepreneurship and open a salon in the basement of her house She did that for the next 8 years. In 1988, she opened her final salon, Cepro Styling and Tanning Salon, located at Lawrence Village Plaza. In 1991, she sold the salon to one of her employees because she found her love, passion and full time job teaching at LCCTC. Through all of this, she remained a wife, a mother and a grandmother, all challenging jobs in their own right and her most rewarding challenge. Interestingly enough, she actually taught her daughter, Marissa, for three years at LCCTC.
Not only a shop teacher, Mrs. Cepro had an enthusiastic passion for her students’ interests. In her shop, she led the Special Effects club and was a co-leader of The Future is Mine (TFIM) and also led a club called special effects. Mrs. Cepro has worked with TFIM for five years but for eight years prior, she was also a co-advisor for SkillsUSA with Mrs. Heasley; Mrs. Cepro encouraged every student to participate in SkillsUSA because she thought it was one of the best organizations in career and technical education.
“Mrs. Cepro has become such a dear friend to me,” states Mrs. Heasley. “We've traveled many miles together, both figuratively and literally. We started working together as co-advisors for SkillsUSA and did that for eight years. Then about 5 years ago, we started working with the Consortium for Public Education and The Future is Mine.”
Mrs. Heasley continues, “She is funny, creative, hardworking, and organized. More importantly, she has a love, understanding, and compassion for people. She is patient and kind. Through her words and her actions, she has taught me so much. She makes me see the good in people.”
Mrs. Heasley went on to say that she would do anything with Mrs. Cepro -- any job, any project, or any task. “She pushes me to do more; I like that and appreciate it.”
Mrs. Cepro would often challenge Mrs. Heasley to step outside of her comfort zone. The two would often team up and volunteer to run workshops. “I would never have done this on my own,” laughs Mrs. Heasley, “and I love it. It's always a fun adventure with her.”
“We work well together and complement each other,” states Mrs. Heasley. “I'm better for knowing her and blessed to have worked with her so closely. I'll miss working with her more than I can say. She's an incredible teacher, partner-in-crime, and most importantly a dear friend. I could write a book about Mrs. Cepro. I don't know if people realize how lucky they are to know her. She is kind behind your back. She inspires me to be a better teacher, a better person. She isn't out to impress anyone, or for recognition. She is the true definition of integrity. I love her dearly.”
For 16 of those 29 years Mrs. Cepro had her partner in crime and The Burt to her Ernie — best friends until the end: Ms. Billie Jo Marino was Mrs. Cepro’s best friend at LCCTC. For 16 years, Ms. Marino has been the aide for Mrs. Cepro in the cosmetology shop. They were certainly always there for each other. Ms. Marino has definitely been a big help all of those years; as a team, they got so much more accomplished. Jokingly, the students would gang up on Ms. Marino and Mrs. Cepro would say, “Hey that’s my best friend right there; you’ll have to go through me first!” To some, they are just co-workers, but they realize that an unbreakable bond will forever remain.
When reflecting about Mrs. Cepro, Ms. Marino admits that there is so much to say: “Mrs. Cepro was not only a wonderful teacher, she is an amazing woman. I have had the pleasure of working beside her for sixteen awesome years. She is not only my coworker; she became a truly great friend to me. Mrs. Cepro made going to work so easy. She has such a positive, caring, warm, enthusiastic way about her that made me love coming to work. She is amazing with her students not only as a strong educator but in so many other ways. She is always there to listen, to bring positive energy, to give the best advice, to distribute hugs when needed, and, most of all, to demonstrate patience. Over the years, we have shared so many memories. There was never a dull moment with her. She was always trying new things in class, from creating paper mache masks to making homemade Christmas ornaments. She taught her students cosmetology skills but also her students were like her children. She always made each of them feel loved and important. I am going to be lost without her. Nothing will be the same without her — even our half hour lunch. I will always hear her voice: ‘Billie change is good and everything will work out.’ Jodi — I wish you the best on your new journey. You deserve it.”
For all of her students, there have been everlasting memories. This tribute would go on forever if I named every memory that any of us have had. Though difficult to choose a favorite moment, my all-time favorite memory would have to be this year when we threw Mrs. Cepro a big birthday surprise party. We all pitched in and bought her a bouquet of flowers and a card, but that wasn’t all. It was just a stall. She teared up just because we thought of her. Then, with the help of everyone in the E wing, we set up a big surprise party and showered her with more gifts, food and a robust round of “Happy Birthday.” Mrs Cepro was so touched that we planned a whole afternoon just for her. To all of us, that celebration will always be special. We would give her the world if we could, so we’ll give her our love, instead.
Mrs. Cepro has guided her students throughout the years; she has truly impacted their lives. Mackenzie Nye, Class of 2019, expresses, “Mrs.Cepro always made me want to work my hardest and be the best version of me that I could be.”
Cristin Ball, Class of 2017, states “Mrs. Cepro was the most caring, patient, loving teacher anyone would wish to have. She cared so much for every student who walked into her classroom. She treated us like we were her own kids. It’s sad to see her leave LCCTC, but I’m so thankful that she was not only my teacher but my sister's, as well. Nobody will ever be able to fill her shoes.”
Krista Berkley, Class of 2018, remembers, “Mrs. Cepro has such a big heart and she cares about every one of her students more than anyone I know. It’s not easy teaching teenage girls, but she always knew how to push us to do our best. I wouldn’t have made it through high school without her. Congratulations on retirement!”
These are just a few of the hundreds of students who have been inspired by Mrs. Cepro.
This year, I graduate. I am a grateful member of Mrs. Cepro’s final senior class, and I am truly honored to write about her. Everyone, including myself, truly loves her. Even if we did not always show it, we are incredibly happy for her.
Mrs. Cepro -- From all of us at LCCTC: We thank you for everything you have done for all of us in these twenty-nine years. You truly made this school a better place, and you’ve inspired us to make the world a better place. As we turn this page and begin the next chapter in our lives, we will always remember the hard work, love, dedication, and happiness that you have given to this school. The E wing was truly blessed to have you all these years. I have never met someone who could motivate me as effectively as you. I can go on to the real world with all of your lessons knowing it was you who pushed me to thrive. The heart-to-heart talks I tried to ignore will come in handy now; you readied me beyond belief. I can never ever thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me and for the wonderful three years you gave me. I hope that retirement treats you well and that you live your life happily.”
Mrs. Cepro's final thoughts are these: “As a high school student at the Lawrence County Career & Tech Center, my life was shaped in many ways. This school prepared me for a rewarding career, helped me develop leadership skills, and gave me the confidence to be a salon owner. To have been blessed with the opportunity to spend the last twenty-nine years helping so many students prepare for their own careers has been incredibly rewarding!”
Mrs. Cepro — Thank you for twenty-nine beautiful years!
A senior cosmetology student, Amelia Hogue has served on student council as a class officer for the last three years, has competed with SkillsUSA, and is the Vice President of Peer Leadership. In the fall, she will attend Clarion University to study Communications through Integrated Journalism with a focus on Sports and Social Media. She plans to one day become a journalist.