The Wahl Fade it Forward program has announced that its first class of scholarship students have finished their 13-month training and are now set to graduate and join the world of barbering.
The Fade It Forward program began last year when three organizations joined forces to help break the cycle of at-risk youths in Chicago, not far from Sterling, Illinois where the Wahl Clipper Corporation is headquartered. It was designed to inspire youths to learn and train in the ways of barbering. The students first started their training at His & Hers Barber School in West Madison Chicago, where they had to successfully complete their four-week mentorship program in order to receive a full scholarship. With their high success rate, this program is set to expand to St. Louis and Cleveland in 2020.
“The Wahl Fade it Forward program was created when I and a few other people began thinking about what we could do to give back to the community as a clipper company for all the years that we've been in business,” said Garland “G-Whiz” Fox, a Wahl Education & Artistic Team Member. “With me being a product of the community, we thought, why not go to the ‘hood’, where everything is happening, and find some at-risk youth that no one is willing to give a chance and just take them and give them an opportunity to do things that they never thought they could do.”
“My next step is to take my state boards and find a shop to work at where I can build my clientele and build my business,” said graduate Sebastian Moore. Moore has already begun working on a social media presence around his new profession and talking with potential employers. He’s confident he’ll pass his state board exam, too, thanks to the training he’s received. “Ms. Youngblood, one of my teachers, said we had to perform the practical test for her while at school. She made sure we can perform a real haircut to professional standards,” said Moore. “She’s really invested in us.”
Photo courtesy of Wahl Clipper Corporation.