My first week on the job, I ventured to Nichols School for one of the first school-based events of 2022. We filed into the library alongside students and teachers — the atmosphere alive with excitement. Long tables lined the walls, and a large screen hung at the front of the room, faces of students bobbing in and out of the squares that checkered the vinyl. At the center of the room, light filtering through the windows upon them, were rows of chairs with barber capes draped over them. Behind the chairs, a handful of volunteer stylists prepared their stations as the first round of students took their seats facing their peers. Some students looked excited, some seemed nervous and others held a perfect poker face. Moments later, hair hit the floor.

As the event continued, the participants got younger and younger, until the smallest group of students approached the staging area. One student stood out. No more than seven, her hair reached just past her shoulders, bright pink inching at the edges. She sat excitedly, saying little but looking ready and determined. Much to my surprise, the barber behind her took out the electric shaver, not the scissors. I watched as her hair fell, leaving a freshly buzzed head behind. When it was done, the little girl ran her hand over her scalp and let out a squeal of delight.