Craven Community College (Craven CC) hosted a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of its newly renovated barbering studio on June 7. Dozens of college employees, students, and community members filled the studio and lined the hallway to support the highly anticipated event.
The new studio space houses the college's Barbering Concepts program and will allow more classes to be offered at more convenient times, as well as services to the public. It will also extend opportunities to other barbering professionals in the community and surrounding areas.
Donell Bryant, Barbering Concepts program manager and instructor, has been overseeing the program for the past nine years, and is excited to see this yearslong plan come to fruition.
“It came with a lot of patience, a lot of sacrifice, and a lot of drive,” he said. “We did what we had to do in order to get to where we wanted to be, and that's right here today. This really feels like a dream walking into the new space each morning, knowing we can get right into class without interruptions and having to rearrange things on a daily basis.”
Most of the hands-on aspects of the program take place in the practical area, which is outfitted with sinks and 16 barber stations. The renovated space also includes a classroom and demonstration area with seating for up to 20 students, a dispensary area to store all the supplies needed for various barbering services, a lobby where clients can check in and wait for services, and offices for Bryant and a part-time instructor.
The expanded area allows for more in-depth demonstrations from local barbers and stylists, giving students more exposure to the barbering industry. Additionally, it is utilized to provide barbering services to the public, including haircuts for $5, facials for $5, and shaves for $3. This enables students to gain on-the-job experience that is imperative for honing their skills to join the workforce.
“This space will benefit the students by being able to have the proper environment to learn and provide a much better learning experience with having the proper tools and equipment to perform at their highest level,” said Bryant. “It will also benefit the community by having more flexible times for clients to come and receive services earlier in the day or later in the evening because of the part-time and full-time class hours.”
The program started as a whisper of an idea in the mind of Mark Best. Best started as the college’s adult-based education director in 1985, later rising to assistant dean of continuing education, and ultimately retiring in 2017 and receiving emeritus status in 2022.
“As I was going out in the community and putting up flyers for Craven, I was going to barbershops and hair salons,” said Best. “There were gentlemen saying how costly it was to become a barber and how far they had to go. One of those gentlemen was Mr. Donell Bryant. He said it was his dream to be an instructor, and I said, ‘be prepared, this is something I’m going to work on.’”
After hearing that people were paying anywhere from $8-12K to take barbering classes that weren’t even local, Best made it his mission to make a difference by finding a way to provide local and affordable barber training. He worked with the college’s cosmetology department, as well as the barbering and cosmetology state boards, to meet program requirements and get classroom space.
Best’s idea became a reality, and the Barbering Concepts program held its first class in May 2012.
“I considered the barbering program a legacy for me, to develop and get it there at Craven, to make education and training less expensive,” he said. “At the time, we were one of the first institutions in the East to have that program on our campus.”
Since the start, the barbering and cosmetology programs, and later the esthetics program, had to share the same space to hold classes and provide personal care services to community members. This communal setup greatly limited class times and opportunities for students. Full-time barbering classes are now able to meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and part-time classes meet from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“Now the barbering program will be allowed to grow with both day and evening classes, and cosmetology and esthetics will also have an opportunity to grow,” said Craven CC President Dr. Ray Staats. “There is a huge unmet need for all three of those programs here in Craven County, and we are so glad to take this huge step towards doing that.”
In addition to mentoring and producing highly trained and well-mannered barbering professionals, Bryant also has his students volunteer for various community events, including giving free back-to-school haircuts to children. He emphasized his desire to give back to the community that has shown unwavering support for the Barbering Concepts program. He acknowledged the immense support it has received from the start, with various people contributing over the years to evolve to this stage.
“I would like to first thank our former VP Dr. Darryl Minus for his time and say-so with giving this program a chance, and I would like to thank Mr. Mark Best for spearheading and putting in the work to get this program off of the ground,” said Bryant. “Last but not least, I would like to thank Mrs. Vickie Moseley-Jones, Mr. Robin Matthews, and Ms. Sandy McKenzie for believing in me even when others didn’t.”
As for Best, he believes the program is in good hands with Bryant. The program is something he has watched grow, and to see Bryant and so many others be able to fulfill dreams fills him with great pride.
“I think that’s something I’ll remember for a lifetime for our community and our students at Craven,” he said. “And to know it has grown, and know it has its own dedicated space … I’m glad I’m alive to see it.”
Learn more about Craven CC’s Barbering Concepts program or public personal care services at CravenCC.edu/Barbering. For additional information, contact barbering@cravencc.edu.
