Emily Griffith Technical College students help Denver graduates prepare with new haircuts

With graduation time here, many students are getting set to start their next chapter, but before that, Emily Griffith Technical College students are helping other Denver students look their best while walking across the stage.  

Looking and feeling good often go hand in hand and sometimes all it takes is a new haircut. 

On Thursday, Jade Martinez decided to try something new with graduation just three days away.  

"I just decided, let's do a buzz, why not," Martinez said. "I'm just going to rock it. Why not get it faded too." 

Martinez is among dozens of students who got a cut, fade or trim in the halls of North High School. It was a gift, courtesy of students from the technical college.  

"It's time to do something positive to lift the spirits," said Lymon Sneed, an instructor at Emily Griffith Technical College.  

Sneed says the free haircuts were not just a graduation gift, but a form of outreach as well. 

"Some kids are not cut out for college. Some kids want to go straight into the workforce, so we're letting the schools know and the kids know that there are options," Sneed said. "I may see these students next year. Let them know there are opportunities here." 

North High School Principal German Echevarria wanted some students see that value, too, so he was quick to grab a chair. 

"What better way to connect them with that than to actually have them see it in action," Echevarria said.  

In the short term, he hopes others at least enjoy the gesture before their big day.  

"If you look good, you feel good, then you walk in with that confidence to walk across that stage and know that you've earned it and you deserve it," he said.  

Soon, Jade Martinez will celebrate that achievement with a brand new fade. This Sunday, he'll close one chapter and start another while looking better than before.  

Emily Griffith Technical College already works with different organizations around the city to give out free haircuts, but this is the first time they've worked with a high school before graduation. The plan is to do this again next year.