Fresh off her trip to the White House, Beyoncé, along with mother Tina Knowles and Mayor Bloomberg, cuts the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Phoenix House Career Academy on Jay St. (how appropriate) in Brooklyn on Friday (March 5). The program will teach students the skills they need to pass the NYS Cosmetology Licensure Exam.

The superstar’s relationship with Phoenix House began when she was prepping for the role of Etta James in 2008’s Cadillac Records. To play the part of the former heroin addict, Beyoncé met with women in treatment at the Career Academy and was so moved by their stories of addiction and recovery that she later donated her salary from the film. A year later, she and her mother came up with the idea of Phoenix House’s new cosmetology program.