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Barbers help students get workforce ready
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Area barbers showed off their skills to help city school district students get ready for the workforce.
“It’s a way to give back to the community,” explained Gerald Walker of Legends Barbershop in Youngstown, as he gave Youngstown Early College junior Derius Nored a boxcut Monday morning.
Walker, a city schools graduate, is a mentor in the Community Connectors mentoring program.
Lois Haynes-Paige, Community Connectors program director at Choffin Career and Technical Center, said the event aimed to get young men workforce-ready. It teaches students the importance of appearance.
“In one minute, appearance tells a lot about you,” she said.
Derius, 16, wants to pursue a career in sports medicine.
Frank Watson of Walt’s Update Hair Salon in the city worked to craft a taper cut on Robert Allen, 16, a YEC junior.
Robert plans to attend Howard University after graduation to study psychology. He knows the importance of appearance in making a first impression.
Watson, who also is a city schools alumnus, said he got involved when Walker told him about the cut-a-thon.
He said that a lot of more natural hairstyles are considered chic and as long as an interview or prospective employer can see the interviewee’s eyes, a hairstyle shouldn’t be an issue.
“I think it’s more what’s on your resume as opposed to the way your hair looks,” Watson said,
Manuel DuBose of Legends Barbershop, another city schools alumnus, worked on a taper cut for Raheem Hamayel, 16, a YEC junior.
Raheem wants to be an engineer and DuBose was encouraging that goal while he completed his work.
“He can do anything he puts his mind to,” he said.
DuBose, who is the director of a barber school, said he enjoys working with young people. He grew up surrounded by crime and likes to be an example to other young men.
He likened the role of a barber as similar to that of a therapist. A barbershop doubles as a neighborhood gathering spot, too.
“Some people take advice from us more than advice from their doctor,” DuBose said.
“I just try to do what I can to use the platform that God has given me.”
Raheem “wants to be an engineer,” DuBose said.