By Matt de Simone
Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC) Computer Science teacher Kurtis Kennedy recently donated his curly locks to Wigs for Kids. This non-profit hair donation organization helps children and young adults dealing with hair loss by making high-quality hairpieces from donated hair.
Last Friday, Kennedy sat in a chair at the school while BTEC cosmetology student Lyndsay Perillaman clipped Kennedy’s hair with help from cosmetology teacher Whitney Witt.
Before his haircut, Kennedy explained in a recent interview that his hair was never the length it used to be and that it was a learning experience.
“I got to enjoy the fact that my hair is curly—I did not know that (it was this curly),” Kennedy explained before getting his ears lowered. “This is easily the longest my hair has ever been. I learned about hair management, and I learned about hair products.”
Kennedy stated that he would watch movies and television shows where a person with long hair would get out of bed with “perfect hair” and knew that was not the case in real life.
After talking about donating with Witt, they coordinated Kennedy’s donation plans.
“I always thought about growing my hair out and donating it,” Kennedy explained. “When Covid happened, I wasn’t cutting it and decided, ‘I’m going to go ahead and grow my hair out.’ I always wanted to donate, and this was my opportunity.”
Kennedy donated six braided portions of his hair, hoping it would go to someone in need. Wigs for Kids asks donors to submit 12-14 inches of hair for the wigs. If anyone is interested in donating to Wigs for Kids, visit wigsforkids.org. Additionally, the organization has a “wish list” where individuals may provide supplies, materials, signage, and many other needs to support the organization and its recipients.
BTEC’s cosmetology program is a two-year program broken into three parts. Cosmetology 1 is a fall and spring semester counting as two courses, and Cosmetology 3 is year-long the following year.
Students will spend their first-year learning about the theory of cosmetology and learning hands-on skills. They spend their second year refining skills and preparing for State Board licensure.
For more information about BTEC’s cosmetology program, visit https://btec.bcps.k12.va.us/programs/cosmetology.