Youth Braider Explosion Taps Into Students’ Gifts
Hair Talk With Camille Shavon Educational Courses presented the Youth Braider Explosion on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the City of Bolivar Municipal Center. Eager young students surrounded tables with mannequins ready to learn the skill of hair braiding. There were more than 40 students, which even included two sets of twins, from the ages of five to 17 who attended the four-hour class.
“The field of cosmetology is very vast, and this class is honing in on braiding,” said Shavon. “I have a gift and a talent to braid.”
Shavon has been braiding and doing hair since she was a little girl. She offers classes for young people, because she understands the opportunities and independence of learning a skill early in life can give them.
“I started making money at eight, nine years old. Sitting on my front porch braiding and putting braids on, and putting money in my pocket,” said Shavon who was able to use the money she earned from braiding to go shopping at the mall and purchase what she wanted. “It gave me a sense of independence and a sense of pride to make my own money and take that money and buy things for myself. If you are self-sufficient and independent, you are least likely to gravitate and follow the wrong path.”
The students were all at different levels depending on their skill and were able to advance to a higher level during the class if they became proficient in the area a level covered. Each level of student worked on the following:
1) Beginners learned how to execute and master a basic braid/plat.
2) Intermediates moved from from basic braiding and learned how to execute then master a Corn Row/French Braid, as well as being introduced to adding hair extensions.
3) Advanced were ones who mastered the basic technique of hair braiding. They learned more intricate hair extension techniques such as box braiding, feed in braiding, and Knotless braiding.
“We have 12 year olds that don’t know how to braid at all and have to start at the beginning, and then we have some seven year olds who have taken my class multiple times, and are already in intermediate and advanced levels,” said Shavon. “The age of a person does not determine the level of skill. It is how fast you can absorb technique and catch on. Most of my students come here and start on one level and leave at another level. Sometimes it takes them to come back multiple times to go to the next level. It depends on how fast they can comprehend the technique.”
Some of the students came, because they already showed an interest in hair braiding. Others were there just for the learning experience.
“A lot of times, our parents don’t realize the gift their child has. It doesn’t mean they are a bad parent. Sometimes, it takes experiences like this to tap into those gifts.”
Hardeman County Mayor Todd Pulse, Town of Whiteville Mayor Gene Bowden, and City of Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic, presented the students with gift bags from Hair Talk With Camille Shavon Educational Courses and their certificate for completing the class. Shavon first partnered with Mayor Bowden and then Whiteville Elementary School Principal Cedric Crisp last year to bring the Youth Braider Explosion to students in the Whiteville area.
Shavon noted the four-hour braiding class is a pre-requisite for the 16-hour certification class that requires students to already know how to braid hair. Several of the young women who assisted Shavon with the class are already certified hair braiders or plan to become certified.
Possible future certified hair braiders posed for a picture with their class certificates.
All of the hair used in the Youth Braider Explosion class was donated by Angel’s Beauty Supply, and Mayor McTizic provided the tuition and the mannequins for the students.
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