Wahl Professional Supports Barber Students With Fade It Forward® Program

Fade It Forward Provides Professional Mentors For Students 

Wahl Professional gathered in Cleveland, OH, to pair the latest Fade It Forward® scholarship winners with their professional barber mentors. Cleveland barbers Jermaine Smith, James Stone, Jesus Corporan, Alan Seats, Kelly Rice, Jr. and Tara Crookston have graciously accepted the role as mentors for Fade It Forward® students.

About Fade It Forward®:

The goal of Fade It Forward® is to remove financial barriers from barber students to help them accomplish their goals of becoming professional barbers. Launched in 2018, Fade It Forward® has awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships to nearly 30 young adults from four cities (Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland and San Diego.)

Over the 40-hour mentorship program, students learn how to build a book of business, assist in day-to-day operations, maintain professional relationships with coworkers and more. The Fade It Forward® program also offers personalized tutoring to help them pass their state licensing exams, connection to social services for those in need and transportation stipends to get to school.

“The barber community is fairly small, so building a network is important. We are giving our Fade It Forward® students that entree,” says Julie Gustafson, Senior Manager, Marketing at Wahl Professional. She adds, “They will learn cutting skills in school, and will keep learning when they’re licensed, but the mentorship program is about showing them what it means to be a barber in the community, how to conduct themselves professionally and how to build their business.”

Wahl Professional Educator and co-founder of the Fade It Forward® program Garland “G Whiz” Fox believes that Fade It Forward® teaches students what makes barbering a special profession: “Barbering is about community. Barbering is about taking care of everyone around you, not just in your household, but each individual person that comes through your life. You have to pay it forward. In this case, FADE it forward.”

The Cleveland Fade It Forward® students are expected to complete their mentorship and graduate from barber college within the next two months.

For more information, visit www.wahlpro.com.