When NAILS Magazine associate editor Sigourney Nuñez graduated from college and was on the prowl for a full-time gig as a writer, she had a lot of down time. That’s when she discovered nail art. “I was inspired by a subtle manicure with a heart on the accent finger that I saw on Instagram and was determined to recreate the look,” Nuñez says. “Countless failed attempts and about three hours later, I did it. I was proud. I found a new passion and I decided I was going to make a career out of it.”

With an intention to focus on nails and journalism, Nuñez had her eyes set on working at NAILS Magazine. She found success — in May 2014, she joined the NAILS editorial team. But it turns out this nail art fanatic and blogger wanted more; in May of this year, Nuñez officially registered as a nail tech student at Advance Beauty College in Garden Grove, Calif.

Nuñez decided to tackle nail school in addition to her job at NAILS because she loves a challenge and because she has a true passion for nails. “Some of my goals for this experience include finding new story ideas, learning new techniques to share with readers, and broadening my perspective to see things as a nail tech,” Nuñez says. “As an editor at NAILS, I do a lot of research on the industry, but it’s one thing to write about a subject in theory and another to write about it from experience. This adventure will help transform the way I approach content to share and ultimately make me more knowledgeable as an editor dedicated to the success of nail professionals.”

Nuñez maintains her position at NAILS and also commutes 40 miles each way to class twice a week to complete the 600-hour advanced program, which she hopes to complete by the end of 2015. Check out her nail-focused Instagram page (@nailartbysig) and her NAILS 101 Student Blog (www.nailsmag.com/bloglist/student).

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