Shaadzee's Corner: The Kids In Black

Every workday at noon a wave of black shirts ripples through downtown Pleasant Hill.

In a way, they are a wave of the future, at least in the hair styling business.

The "kids in black," as they are sometimes called, are the students from the near the corner of Crescent Drive and Crescent Circle.

They venture out the same time every day to eat lunch at Togo's, Chipolte, and other downtown restaurants.

They are a familiar site and there are plenty of them.

The Paul Mitchell facility has dozens of chairs in its spacious facility where professionals cut and style customers' hair. It also has a classroom that can hold several dozen students at a time.

Right now, 270 students are enrolled at the Mitchell academy. They are in groups in different stages of the school's 11-month, 1,600-hour training.

Of those, 26 are currently in the 6-week core class where students attend sessions taught by two instructors from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On a lunch hour this week, four of those future professionals drifted over to Shaadzee's for a lunch on the patio.

Dalia Garcia, 18, of Oakley would like to own a hair and make-up salon someday.

The 2011 Freedom High School graduate has always wanted to be in this industry.

"I just like it. I used to do my sister's hair when we were little," she said.

Daniele Bechtold, 19, a 2011 grad from Danville, would also like to manage a salon. In addition to the Mitchell school, she is taking classes at Diablo Valley College.

Her family has a number of hairdressers, so the industry is in her blood.

"I've always been into hair and makeup," Bechtold said.

Tessa Morgan, 25, from Martinez hopes to manage a salon in the near future.

Alexis Cazar, 18, a 2011 Bethel High School grad from Vallejo, simply would like to work in a salon. She takes additional classes at Napa Valley College right now.

All four appear enthusiastic about their future profession. All are also serious about the endeavor.

Among other things, they are paying $18,500 for tuition. That will go up to $20,600 for incoming students on July 1.

Claudette Peters, the Mitchell school's admissions leader, said the students who enroll take their studies seriously.

Most are in their 20s, but there are a few students who are older, such as the 65-year-old grandmother who graduated and now helps teach at the academy. About 10 percent of the students are men.

After their core classes, students gravitate to a 2-week protege session where they shadow employees at the salon.

After that, it is advanced classes in specialized fields of the industry.

Peters said many of the students want to work in salons, but there are others hoping to work behind the scenes in studios or on music videos. Others want to sell hair products while some would like to teach.

The school enforces the black pants and black shirt attire because it's professional looking.

"We tell (the students) they are representing the school as well as their community," said Peters.

The academy does a lot of community-based volunteer work, including free haircuts at shelters.

The industry, Peters said, is a good one to be in because it always has customers, no matter what shape the economy is in.

"People still need to get their hair cut," she said.

And, as long as that's true, there will be the "kids in black" at lunchtime in downtown Pleasant Hill.