Hair has always been more than hair to me. It’s been a shield, a story, and, in many ways, my voice when I didn’t have the words. Thick, wavy, and impossible to ignore—it’s usually the first thing people notice about me. But for me, it’s been my armor.
I lost my dad in November 2021, just a few weeks before I turned 13. Losing him to PTSD felt like the ground had opened beneath me, and I had nothing to hold on to. At his funeral, my hair was my refuge. I let it fall over my face so I wouldn’t have to meet anyone’s eyes, wouldn’t have to let them see how lost I felt. As the months passed—Thanksgiving, my 13th birthday, Christmas, a new year—I let it grow. My mom didn’t push me to cut it, and I didn’t offer. It wasn’t just hair; it was my armor against a world that felt too big and too raw.
When May 2022 came around, my hair was long, and I was ready to start over. I asked my mom if we could leave Louisiana and move somewhere new—a place where I could breathe again. But before we could, life threw another curveball. Out of nowhere, I developed a full-body rash. After months of tests, biopsies, and waiting rooms, I was diagnosed with Lymphomatoid Papulosis—a rare, life-long benign cancer. Starting 8th grade in a new state, covered in a rash and dealing with the stares and awkward questions, wasn’t easy. But I got through it the same way I’d gotten through everything else - leaning on my sense of humor and keeping my hair as a shield.
Since then, my life has changed a lot. My hair kept growing, but so did I. I’ve discovered a love for aviation, found a family in TSA competitions, and even got a job to help pay for flight hours. I know now that I want to be a pilot—to take control, to soar, to see the heavens above, from a place where everything feels lighter. But I also know that long, wavy hair doesn’t exactly fit into cockpit regulations.
That’s why I’m not just cutting my hair—I’m shaving it. And I’m not doing it quietly. My hair has been so much more than just something on my head; it’s been my story, my shield, my way of dealing with things when words didn’t work. Shaving it feels like closing a chapter, but it also feels like starting a new one. That’s why I’ve decided to turn this moment into something bigger—to raise money for a cause that matters.
To me, this isn’t just about hair. It’s about showing that even when life throws everything at you, you can turn it into something good. It’s about proving that you don’t need a shield when you’ve got purpose. My hair has been a big part of who I am, but now it’s time to show the world who I really am—someone who faces challenges head-on, who grows through every storm, and who’s ready to take flight.
