EXPERIENCE

OUR INSTRUCTORS

We are an upscale and modern esthetics and massage wellness school, dedicated to nurturing the next generation of wellness professionals. Our mission is to provide a transformative educational experience that empowers our students to thrive in the wellness industry. Through a dynamic curriculum and hands-on training, we aim to cultivate the skills and mindset necessary for success in this rewarding field.

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Passionate Experts Guiding Your Journey

SANDY NELLES - FOUNDER

A licensed esthetician since 2008, Sandy Nelles brings nearly two decades of expertise spanning clinical skincare, holistic practices, and spa innovation. She is widely recognized for her ability to merge advanced esthetic technique with energy work, mindfulness, and intentional touch - creating treatments that restore, rejuvenate, and deliver meaningful results.

Sandy is also a proven industry entrepreneur. She founded Mod Facial Bar and One Society Skincare in Flower Mound, TX in 2017, then expanded her vision with Skinkind Facial Retreat in Boston, MA in 2024. Both Mod Facial and Skinkind were successfully sold to investors, underscoring her ability to build, grow, and exit brands that resonate with modern consumers.

As an educator, Sandy empowers estheticians to integrate precision, intuition, and presence into every service. Her students often describe her teaching as transformative, grounding, and career-shaping—an approach that elevates both technique and practitioner confidence.

Aliscia Schnitman, ESTHETICS INSTRUCTOR

Aliscia Schnitman is a highly experienced esthetician, educator, and advanced skincare specialist with a distinguished track record of client transformation and professional leadership in the spa industry. Since 2018, she has performed thousands of facials, chemical peels, corrective treatments, and advanced protocols, earning a reputation for delivering measurable, long-term improvements in skin health.

Her expertise spans a wide range of specialties including:
• anti-aging and corrective skincare
• acne and hyperpigmentation management
• oncology-safe esthetics
• lash lifts and tints
• facial sculpting and lymphatic massage
• chemical peels
• Hydrafacial
• client consultation and treatment planning
• advanced ingredient knowledge
• waxing and sugaring

A Texas native, Aliscia spent more than six years at Mod Facial, where she mastered high-volume, results-driven treatment delivery and became known for her exceptional client retention. She later expanded her experience at Life Time, integrating performance-based skincare with wellness and lifestyle-focused treatment approaches. Throughout her career, she has also trained estheticians across multiple locations, providing them with hands-on technique, foundational knowledge, and the confidence to excel in real spa environments.

Today, Aliscia serves as both an Esthetician at Orska Spa and the Staff Esthetician & Trainer for Orska Rituals professional skincare. In her dual role, she delivers elevated facial experiences while educating estheticians and students in advanced protocols, product chemistry, and intentional, results-centered skincare. Her depth of ingredient knowledge allows her to teach practitioners not only what to use, but why treatments work an invaluable skill in a results-driven industry.

Known for her calm presence, kindness, and exceptional bedside manner, Aliscia blends technical precision with intuitive, compassionate care. She is deeply committed to helping both clients and students feel supported, confident, and empowered. Her attention to detail and dedication to excellence make her an essential part of the Orska education team and a guiding influence for the next generation of estheticians.

DESIREE MCGRATH, MASSAGE AND ESTHETICS EDUCATOR

Desiree McGrath is a licensed massage therapist and esthetician with more than 20 years of experience working in five-star resort spas, high-end wellness environments, physical therapy practices, and chiropractic offices. She brings a rare blend of therapeutic skill, luxury spa refinement, and advanced esthetics knowledge to her work as an educator.

Desiree’s career includes over two decades in luxury hotel spas, including her current role at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, where she has become known for her exceptional guest care, polished service standards, and signature spa flow. Her massage approach is both deeply restorative and highly intentional combining technical precision with a nurturing, intuitive presence that leaves clients feeling balanced, renewed, and profoundly cared for. Nationally certified and licensed in three states for both massage therapy and esthetics, Desiree has trained extensively in:
• advanced bodywork modalities
• lymphatic and sculpting techniques
• luxury spa body treatments
• aromatherapy and ritual-based wellness
• facial massage and esthetic enhancements
• microcurrent
• HydraFacial
• professional skincare protocols to include many luxury brands

Her ability to integrate advanced massage with esthetic and spa techniques makes her uniquely qualified to teach therapists who want to expand their skills, elevate their client experience, and transition into luxury spa settings.

At The Facial School, Desiree leads our advanced massage courses and CEU programs, where she teaches practical technique, elevated spa flow, luxury client experience, and body-friendly mechanics that support long-term career longevity. Students consistently praise her warmth, clarity, deep expertise, and her ability to make complex techniques feel natural and accessible.

Desiree is passionate about helping massage therapists grow whether they want to enhance their service menu, transition into high-end spas, or bring a more luxurious and therapeutic touch to their private practices. She believes that massage is both an art and a craft, and she is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of truly exceptional therapists.

Helping people feel their best body, mind, and spiritis not just her profession. It is her calling.

MARIESSA RAMIREZ, ESTHETICS AND WELLNESS INSTRUCTOR

Mariesa Ramirez is a licensed esthetician with more than seven years of hands-on experience in skincare, spa services, and beauty therapy. Before joining The Facial School, Mariesa owned and operated her own successful skincare studio in Defiance, Ohio, where she built a strong reputation for her transformative facials, lash and brow artistry, and her gentle, results-driven approach to client care.

With a professional diploma from the School of Natural Skincare, Mariesa brings a deep understanding of clean beauty, ingredient knowledge, holistic skincare, and mindful treatment design. She is highly skilled in a broad range of services including:
• customized facials
• acne treatment and corrective skincare
• lash lifts and tints
• brow shaping
• full-body waxing and sugaring
• Hydrafacial
• chemical peels
• spa management
• relaxation and therapeutic massage elements

Her technical expertise paired with her calm, compassionate bedside manner has made her a client favorite everywhere she has worked.

Mariesa’s passion lies in helping others feel confident and beautiful in their skin. She believes great esthetics work is a blend of science, intuition, and intention and she approaches every treatment with care, precision, and a commitment to exceptional results.

At The Facial School, Mariesa teaches foundational and advanced esthetics techniques, guiding students with the same warmth, patience, and high standards she brings to her own practice. She is dedicated to helping future estheticians build confidence, master technique, and develop the professional excellence needed to succeed in today’s skincare industry.

Her mission is simple: to elevate the next generation of estheticians by teaching skills that change skin, transform lives, and create long-lasting client relationships.