Students cut and style hair at Senior Citizen Makeover: Holiday Edition

Mount Vernon senior citizens visited Mount Vernon High School for makeovers from the cosmetology and barbering students on Monday, December 16, 2024. This was the second Senior Citizen Makeover Day and was holiday themed. Seniors got a brand-new style to celebrate the holidays with while drinking coffee and eating sweet treats.

The group of seniors visited MVHS as a part of a growing partnership between the Career and Technical Education Department and the Mount Vernon Recreation Department. Seniors also visited for makeovers in May 2024 to begin the partnership, and veterans received haircuts and styling in November 2024. Barbering students also visit schools throughout the year to cut the hair of younger students. 

“The CTE Department could not be more thrilled to expand our rich partnership with the MV City Recreation Department,” said Director of CTE Brian Simmons. “These opportunities are pure gold for our students to build deep and meaningful relationships with the elders of our community while developing critical employment skills. It is a model that benefits everybody!”

Students, some of whom will be pursuing cosmetology and barbering careers, consulted with the seniors about their preferred hair styles and began working. Through this initiative, students can practice for their future career while also helping their city and building connections with older members of the community.

“I feel really great because I like helping out with the elderly. It reminds me of my grandma; I would want someone to help her, so that’s why I help other people,” said Najylah Aaron-Barksdale, an 11th-grade MVHS student who wants to be a cosmetologist. “This reflects back on my teacher and shows how she’s teaching us well because we’re able to help others. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned how to sew hair, curl, straighten, braid and a lot of other things.”

Barbering students cut hair, while cosmetology students styled and colored hair. Each haircut recipient took a before and after photo to commemorate the occasion and see the work done by the students. 

“This is like anything else when you’re doing something in the community, it’s a beautification project: when you look good you feel good. It’s the holiday season, and it’s a time when we want to be looking our best,” said Sean Paul Wade, director of social and community services for the City of Mount Vernon and the Department of Recreation. “This is not the first time we’ve done this, so they really actually enjoy coming out and helping the young people and working with the young people for the service. This is the bridge between intergenerational programming. I’ve always been a big proponent of the future and the foundation. The future is obviously the youth, but the foundation of any community is its senior citizens, and we have to build more bridges between them.”

With a party at the Doles Center approaching, the senior citizens will be ready and looking fresh for their celebrations of the holiday season.