A woman who grew up in Hillsboro recently spent six weeks working as a hairstylist on a movie set.
Sarah Kilpela, a 2004 Hillsboro High graduate, was the key stylist for “Under the Surface,” a full-length feature film by Pixels of Hope, a Christian production company.
The movie is in post-production, and no release date has been scheduled.
“I met a lot of really cool people,” Kilpela said. “The pay was great. It was crazy – I was working seven days a week for about six to eight weeks. But it was an opportunity to be a part of something like that and not having to leave my kids and husband.”
Kilpela, who now lives in Cape Girardeau, is a licensed cosmetologist and owns Eden Salon and Spa. She and her husband, Matt Stuchlik, are expecting their sixth child in December.
Kilpela, 37, was involved in the fine arts in high school.
“I did drama club, the Thespian Society, was in all the plays and a musical or two,” she said. “It was super fun. Hillsboro is a high school that really supports the arts, and that is so important.”
Stephanie Williams, who still teaches English and sponsors the drama department at the high school, has fond memories of Kilpela.
“Her senior year was my first year teaching,” Willaims said. “She was a gifted actress, even then. And she was always into the hair and makeup end of things, so it doesn’t surprise me that she would go into that as a career.”
After graduation, Kilpela went to cosmetology school and then worked for a variety of local salons and other jobs before the opportunity came up to purchase the Cape Girardeau spa.
“In 2017, my hubby and I packed everything in a U-Haul and moved to Cape from De Soto,” she said.
Active in the community
In addition to her duties at work and home, Kilpela is an active community volunteer. Last weekend she served as lead stylist for Vintage Now, a fashion fundraiser that benefits victims of domestic violence. And she is a co-founder of It Takes a Village, a support group for pregnant women and new mothers.
The It Takes a Village group started in 2019, when Kilpela, pregnant with her fourth child, and a friend started a local breastfeeding support group that met weekly at her salon.
“It was all about us saying, ‘Let’s do something to provide resources to other women,’ and now it has morphed into a 501c3 group,” she said. “We got a grant from Healthy Blue (part of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield) to train doulas and make them available to women who wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford them. My business donated office space and the grant covered the renovation.
“We’ve sponsored three births with doulas. We partner with other organizations to help with postpartum support, toilet learning, feeding and weaning. We certify lactation consultants, we hold classes, we connect people with resources they need.
“It’s just a resource for people who need help. Missouri has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, and that’s horrifying. We wanted to figure out what women need and help them get it.”
Kilpela began volunteering with Vintage Now shortly after she took over her business in 2017.
“All the money raised goes to support safe houses in southern Missouri,” she said. “This year we had 66 models, each with two looks. There were five fashion stylists and 20-plus hair and makeup volunteers from different businesses.
“I was lead hair and makeup, which means I coordinated the volunteers, set up stations. It’s an empowering experience; there are a lot of women in the show who are (domestic violence) survivors.
“We raised over $67,000 and drew more than 2,300 people to the Show Me Center.”
Chance encounter
Kilpela and her husband own rental properties in the Cape Girardeau area that they list on Airbnb, and that’s how she initially connected with the folks at Pixels of Hope.
“The production company (for the film) had booked with us for the time they were going to be in Cape,” she said. “I told them, ‘If you’re looking for hair and makeup, let me know,’ and they told me to send them my resume. Then I got picked to be the key stylist.”
She was responsible for designing and executing the hair styles for the actors.
“You plan the hair styles according to the script and what the mood is they’re trying to get across,” she said. “It’s all about making the hair coincide with the story. I think my acting experience helped with that.”
Kilpela said she is excited at the prospect of further work in the film industry.
“I have made some contacts now in the industry, and there are a couple of projects coming up in the spring. You have to sign NDAs (non-disclosure agreements), so I can’t say exactly,” she said. “It would not be here, so it would mean I’d have to travel. We’ll have to see how the new baby is and what’s going on.”
Kilpela said she couldn’t even consider the possibility if it weren’t for her husband.
“It definitely takes a team,” she said. “I couldn’t do any of this without his support.”
Her former teacher thinks Kilpela could go far based on her talent and work ethic.
“Sarah has a natural effervescence to her personality that goes well in such a people-oriented profession,” Williams said. “She’s very creative, very talented. And she’s a very hard worker, and that is key.”
Kilpela credits her faith with helping her steer a calm course through her chaotic, busy life.
“I’m a very faithful person, a devout Catholic, and I feel you have to let God take care of things,” she said. “He’ll always steer you in the right direction.
“I don’t stress out about things. Do the best you can and let the cards fall where they may.”