Cluster student Kaelynn has set her sights on a future career probably not shared by many young women her age: She plans to become a barber.
Kaelynn has been coming to Cluster since she was in 5th grade. Now a senior at Alcott College Preparatory High School, she plans to attend barber school and take over her family’s barber shop on the South Side after her training.
Coleman Brothers Barber Shop was started by her late grandfather and her great uncle, who still runs the shop. It’s a fixture in the South Shore neighborhood. “It’s always been a big part of the neighborhood,” Kaelynn said. “My grandfather was even Louis Farrakhan’s personal barber.”
Besides going through the training program at Larry’s Barber College, which takes about a year and a half, Kaelynn plans to take some business courses at community college to learn how to run the business better. She’ll learn how to cut and style men’s hair, which will include corn rows and other specialized styles. Kaelynn also will learn about facial grooming and giving shaves. She even plans on adding services, such as serving food.
Kaelynn’s tutor is Chris Majkrzak. The pair have been working together for only two years, although Chris is a veteran tutor who has been with Cluster for about 20 years. “Kaelynn is my sixth or seventh student,” Chris said.
Kaelynn said she has appreciated Chris’ assistance throughout their time in Cluster. “She always helped to push me more in school,” Kaelynn said. “She helped me figure out what I want to do after high school.”
Chris and Kaelynn spend most of their tutoring time reading and working on vocabulary. A lot of the vocabulary work comes from words found in the newspaper, which they look at every week. “She really doesn’t need help with homework,” Chris said.
“Kaelynn has always been very fun to work with,” Chris added. “She’s a very polite girl who is easy going.”
Kaelynn likely will use that easy-going personality to win over a customer base that is used to working with male barbers. “It’s going to be a tough transition,” she said, “but I’m willing to get to know them.”
Here’s a YouTube video of a story about Coleman Brothers Barber Shop.