NORWALK - Cerritos College hosted the first annual Nontraditional Careers for Men Conference on Oct. 25, attracting nearly 100 male students from ABC, Bellflower and Paramount unified school districts and St. Pius X Matthias High School.The half-day conference kicked off with a guest speaker Jude Alcala, who was born in Compton as the youngest of nine siblings. His parents taught him the value of hard work. honesty and respect. He studied cosmetology at Cerritos College in 1991 where he learned the basic skills of the trade. Thanks to his professors and his family, he came to understand the importance of people skills and how far they can take you in any profession and in everyday life. After receiving his license, Jude worked in several salons and soon realized he wanted to work in television, film and print. He began work on TV and film projects - which often paid little - to make connections in the industry. Gradually he was recognized by celebrities such as Carmen Electra and the Osbournes. He has since then worked extensively in front of the camera. In 2004 he was the on-camera makeover artist on Fox's hit show "Renovate My Family." In 2008, he worked his on-camera makeover magic on everyday women on the hit television show, "How to Look Good Naked." He was thrilled to do two on-camera makeovers on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Currently he is working on the hit daytime talk show "The Talk," where his work has been recognized with three consecutive Emmy nominations. This year, he received his first Emmy for the show. "To this day, I use the foundation skills I learned at Cerritos and from my parents," he said. "Be true to yourself and don't let others judge you or what you choose to do."

********** Published: Oct. 31, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 29