For some, hair and makeup are just necessary chores for daily life. For North Penn Senior Mac Buchanan, they’re both a passion and a career. 

Buchanan, who is also part of NMTCC’s National Technical Honor Society, has been a student of the NMTCC cosmetology program since ninth grade. However, her interest in hair and makeup started long before she became a student. 

“I remember I would steal my sister’s makeup kit when I was, like, five. When I stole it, I [would make] a fake bruise on my eye… I used all the purple and blue eyeshadow. It did not turn out well. I thought I was really bad at [hair] all my life and then I was like… what If I do cosmetology school?” said Buchanan. 

Earlier this month, Buchanan was a competitor in the SkillsUSA District 2 esthetics competition. For this specific competition, part of her task was to complete various styles of makeup on a model within the set time limit. While competing, she had to be mindful of her methods and the eventual cleanup. 

She competed in the same competition last year, where she got second place. After a year of refining her skills and methods for the February 2025 competition, Buchanan’s efforts earned her first place, much to her surprise. 

“[When I won], I screamed. The other people from my school were excited for me… I hugged people and then I went and got my medal.” recalled Buchanan. In April, she will compete in the SkillsUSA state competition. 

For the rest of her senior year, Buchanan will continue pursuing cosmetology alongside her hobbies and other interests. 

“I work at a movie theater and I love it. It’s my favorite thing. I like to do the radio at North Penn. 98.5 FM on Fridays… I go thrifting sometimes. I collect CDs and snowglobes.”

After she and her fellow classmates walk out of Crawford Stadium for the last time, Buchanan plans to take her skills overseas. 

“I plan to apply to [a school] in London called Delamar Academy. I’m in the process of applying for my passport so I can go…This [school] has the perfect blend of everything I wanted to learn.” explained Buchanan. 

As for a career, she hopes to combine her passion for hair and makeup with her other, equally intense passion, “I want to work on film sets. I have a deep appreciation for cinema.”

With a diverse set of interests and over 1000 hours of experience in cosmetology, the possibilities are truly endless for North Penn senior Mac Buchanan.