Graduating from barber school in the spring was a defining moment in my journey toward becoming a professional barber. During school I started working at a barbershop on the weekends. It was a stressful time as practicals and final exams started to wind up at school and I had to make sure I was showing my best work on the weekends. This opportunity has allowed me to grow from the skills I had already gained since I was around professionals all day long. Along with starting my career, I have also been able to move into the city of Boston on my own- a move that feels like both a personal and professional milestone. The road to this point, however, wasn’t always smooth. Barber school was challenging, both mentally and physically. Balancing the technical aspects of cutting hair, learning the art of grooming, and developing my customer service skills weren’t easy. There were days when the pressure of homing different techniques felt overwhelming, and I sometimes questioned my progress. But each challenge became a lesson in persistence and improvement. I quickly learned that success in this profession required lots of consistency as every client brings some new challenge. Besides the barber school journey, personal hurdles outside of work arose. Moving into the city was exciting but also intimidating. The pace of life in the city is a lot faster than I’m used to, and I had to adjust to the chaos that is navigating through the city and be able to get to work at an appropriate time. This forced me to get a consistent schedule to stay on top of all that. Besides that, being able to live and work in the Boston area has given me access to a vibrant community and endless opportunities to grow in my craft.