Ulster BOCES Transitional Occupation Program (TOP) student Christina McKane of Ellenville High School made a profound, yet unspoken, statement in support of her mother's fight against cancer. McKane recently made a trip to the Career & Technical Center's weekly Cosmetology clinic and had her head shaved by a high school classmate.

After learning the meaning behind McKane's style choice, students in the program rallied by her side. Cosmetology student Cassidy Lohrer of Onteora High School was the student "barber" who operated the clippers for the meaningful event, and teacher Kate Weston also joined in the cause, using a tattoo clipper to shear a ribbon design—the widely recognized symbol for breast cancer awareness—and also pigmenting the silhouette with pink hair coloring pencils.

McKane will always remember this symbolic gesture of unity with her mother, but the cut also represents a significant milestone for Lohrer, who is a junior and is in her first year of the Cosmetology program. Although familiar with barbering because she cuts her father's hair, McKane's shave is the first cut Lohrer has performed in class.

"I asked Ms. Weston what she wanted, an undercut, quarter head shave, and she answered she wanted her whole head shaved," recalls Lohrer. After learning that her client wanted the shave because of her mother's cancer diagnosis, she said, "My heart just dropped, so it was really important to do that as my first cut."

Cosmetology classmate Victoria Bogardus gathered McKane's fallen locks and braided them for her to save as a keepsake. "It was personal for me because my mom has cancer too," says the Saugerties High School student. "I was very proud of her [McKane] to be brave enough to take all her hair off and not be embarrassed."