Barbering Educator in Poway | Nate Benson | Bellus Academy

Educator Spotlight: Nate Benson, Lead Barber Educator at Bellus Academy in Poway

“My grandmother had her own salon in the Philippines before she came to California, so I’ve been doing hair since I was a kid.” — Nate Benson, Lead Barber Educator, Bellus Academy in Poway

Long before he ever picked up a set of clippers with real intention, Nate Benson was already surrounded by the trade that would become his life’s work, and that early exposure set the course for a career that now includes teaching the next generation of barbers as a Barbering Educator in Poway.

A Lifetime Behind the Chair

By middle school, Benson was doing perms and color, and he had already started cutting his own hair. By high school, he was taking on barber clients of his own, building real experience years before he ever set foot in a classroom as a student. “I’ve worked in both salons and barbershops,” he says of the years before he joined Bellus Academy, describing an early career built across both sides of the beauty and wellness industry rather than one narrow lane. That range gave him a broad foundation, one that would later shape how he teaches and the perspective he brings to his students.

Growing Into Lead Barber at Bellus Academy in Poway

Benson has been part of the campus for a little over three years, and one year ago he was promoted to Lead Barber. He says he has wanted to be an Educator since he was a child, and the role has lived up to that early ambition. “I love when my students want to learn anything and everything about hair and this industry,” he says.

What keeps him energized, he says, is the variety: giving students a strong foundation of knowledge, helping them build confidence for what’s ahead, and helping them build the skills to grow in the Barbering industry. “It’s never boring, and I love meeting so many new and different people,” he adds. He points to Bellus Academy’s approach to education, built to give students training many other schools don’t offer, as part of what makes that growth possible for students year after year. For Benson, guiding students from their first day through graduation is where the role feels most rewarding.

A Commitment to Advanced Training

Benson practices what he teaches when it comes to continuing education. He’s dual licensed in both Barbering and Cosmetology, a certified makeup artist under MUD Beauty and special effects, and certified in Dermalogica. He also holds a certification under American Hairlines for men’s hair replacement, and he’s currently working toward certification in extensions and lashes.

“Continuing education is important because this industry never stops evolving,” he says. “There’s always a new trend or skill to learn and utilize.”

That philosophy runs through everything he brings into the classroom, where he encourages students to see their license as a starting point rather than a finish line.

A Student Who Left a Mark

Ask Benson about a favorite teaching memory, and he doesn’t hesitate. One of his first students was Kaylee Wahl, a dual-licensed Barber/Cosmo student he mentored through most of her time at Bellus Academy. Because Benson holds licenses in both disciplines, he was able to guide her across both sides of her training. “She also happens to be a descendant of the Wahl family, so that’s pretty cool to have mentored her,” he says. Wahl has since gone on to pursue her passion in the beauty and wellness industry, a path Benson says he was proud to help shape early on, and a memory that still stands out among the many students he has taught over the years.

Advice for the Next Generation

For students just starting out in Barbering, Benson’s advice comes down to one idea: stay curious. “Never stop learning,” he says, “because this industry is forever evolving and changing, so be willing to change and grow with it.” It’s the same mindset that has carried his own path, from his grandmother’s salon in the Philippines, through years of cutting hair in salons and barbershops, to the chair he now holds as Lead Barber at Bellus Academy in Poway.

From a childhood spent watching his grandmother work to a classroom full of students building their own foundations, Benson’s story is a reminder of how deep this industry runs for the people who teach it. His dual licensure, his growing list of certifications, and his own advice to never stop learning all point back to the same belief: that a career in Barbering is never really finished, it just keeps building.

Ready to Train Alongside an Experienced Educator?

Interested in training alongside experienced Educators like Nate Benson? Explore the Barbering program at Bellus Academy in Poway and request information to learn more about what hands-on, dual-discipline training could look like for you.