Her work is a cut above

In March, Schauble had an experience that far surpassed anything she dreamed of when she was a teenager styling her hair before school dances.

"Cosmetology school was mostly about passing the state boards, so really I learned everything from working all of these years as a stylist," she says.

After pulling together the application materials just days before the deadline, Schauble received an email from Charleston Fashion Week saying she had been one of 60 applicants selected to move forward to the audition round.

Schauble traveled to Charleston to train for the fashion shows, but nothing could quite prepare her for the exhilarating energy she felt during that week.

When she emptied out her tool belt before boarding the plane to head home she found half-eaten granola and candy bars — her "meals" during the week.

When you're working at a salon, you're working off your client's vision, but for runway, you're working off the designer's vision, she says.

Schauble's experience at fashion week gave her a taste of a world she yearns to learn more about, and the lessons she took home with her have further solidified her love for hairstyling.