When her brother decided to discontinue his training at the Junior Barber Academy in North Philadelphia in 2018, Neijae Graham-Henries, then seven, coincidentally discovered her passion for barbing.
As the only female student in the six-week course, Neijae filled her brother’s seat in Michael Boone’s class.
Speaking with Yahoo News about the youngster, Boone said: “I never expected to see a young lady in my class, but she was eager to learn, and I gave her the same guidance I’d give my older students.”
“I’m very proud of her. She was a great student, and I am excited to see where this will take her,” he added.
Nejae had earned her barber certification before the start of her second-grade year and soon after completing her training, she began working as a volunteer, giving free haircuts to her counterparts.
At a time, the video of Neijae at work went viral on social media. The video garnered national attention from publications like BuzzFeed and Inside Edition. She later received a speaking invitation to the New York City Essence Beauty Carnival.
When asked about her approach to each hair she has to cut, she said, “The whole process is to finish it and do it really good and to, like, style it good.”
Together, Neijae and Boone gave free haircuts to almost 400 students during a back-to-school event for local kids. Accordding to Boone, he had previously asked her if she wanted to participate in his community service project, where he would be giving the less privilege free haircuts.
