Meet the Team
Meet the team at Charles & Sue’s School of Hair Design! All of our educators are licensed with the State of Texas and have multiple certifications from Redken. We know how important it is to research cosmetology schools near you and how meaningful it is to learn about the staff, educators and culture.
- Charles Fikes: President
Tracy Gilstrap
School Director, Financial Aid Officer & Title IX Coordinator
Tracy’s hairstyling journey began in the family business – her parents, Charles and Sue Fikes, owned a hair school in Snyder, Texas. After moving the school to Bryan/College Station in 1971, Tracy attended in 1981 and later became an instructor at Charles & Sue’s School of Hair Design in 1982. She deepened her skills with five professional trainings at Pivot Point International. She acquired business expertise under the guidance of her father.
In 2003, Tracy took the reins of the family business, dedicating herself to its legacy. Known for her passion and hard work, she enjoys nurturing aspiring stylists and watching them blossom into accomplished professionals. Tracy’s commitment reflects her personal journey and her determination to uphold the family tradition.
Debbie Kelley
Admissions Representative, Financial Aid Representative & Title IX Designated Investigator
Debbie is the first person most students meet; she takes students on their first tour of our school and answers any questions they may have about our program. Debbie always has a smile on her face and is someone anyone can share a laugh with. Debbie says her favorite part of her job is watching students transform and grow into amazing people, not just stylists.
Vikki Fritsche
Director of Education, Student Activity Director, & Title IX Designated Decision-maker
Vikki first began her career at Charles & Sue’s School of Hair Design and graduated in 2013; she then went on to become an educator and graduated in 2014. Vikki is always positive and helps keep the happiness and excitement in the air. She has always loved being a stylist but says it’s a greater feeling seeing students feel accomplished when they learn something new or achieve goals, they’ve worked so hard on. Vikki brings motivation both in the classroom and on the salon floor to help students grow as stylists. She likes to help challenge students to make them think outside of the box.
Adrian Thomas
Educator/Team Leader
Adrian got her cosmetology start at Baldwin Beauty in Austin, Texas in 2008. She then decided to become an educator and attended Bella Beauty in Waco, Texas in 2014 where she taught for a year and a half. She became an educator because one of her clients wanted her to. Charles & Sue’s School of Hair Design was very excited to welcome Adrian as an educator in 2018. As a stylist, her favorites are creative hair designs, especially wigs and extensions. She loves to help make people feel beautiful and she loves being a mentor to help students find what they love in this industry.