Why these cosmetology and barbering students were “battling” it out

“Battle of the Hair: Student Edition” is Sport Clips’ annual national haircutting contest for cosmetology and barbering students. Each year, entries come in from all across the country that show off the artistry, creativity, and technical knowledge these professionals-in-training already have when it comes to men’s styles. Six of these super gifted stylists were named finalists for this year’s competition, with one talented student taking home a $5,000 scholarship.

The Scholarship Winner…Pablo Carrera Garcia, a recent graduate from Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver who says going to the barber always made him feel great and he wanted to give that experience back to others.

The other finalists were Talisa Enuenwosu, a student at Tricoci University, Peoria, Illinois Campus who wants to be a barber, natural haircare specialist, and educator; Edward Leal, a student at Xenon Academy Grand Island Campus in Nebraska, who was impressed in middle school when he saw a barber “transform a guy” and that set his intent on becoming a barber; Yessika Jimenez-Lanuza, a student at Paul Mitchell School Denver, who loves doing haircuts, says Battle of the Hair looked like “opportunity” to her and was an amazing experience; Anna Kelsch, a student at JATC South Campus, who says she loves the creativity of the profession and how it’s something new every day that she’ll never get bored with; and Jack Cumbe, a student at Tricoci University, Northwest Chicago Campus, who says the competition was a real confidence builder.

Pablo says he was hooked on the profession early in life, “I chose barbering because it has always been a part of my life, not necessarily family members that were barbers, but I can remember one of my fondest memories was when my dad first took me to get a haircut. I just remember being really excited and remember the barber cutting my hair and just feeling really great afterwards.”

All of these students received travel, hotel, meals, and training from industry pros as a part of the Sport Clips Haircuts National Huddle in Fort Worth where they were introduced to the crowd of more than 3,000 in attendance. They got to participate in a private barbering class with Danny Amorim from GIBS Grooming and meet the founders of the growing product line. They also attended a supplier fair with games, entertainment, and thousands of other haircare professionals before hitting the “Brand We Love” stage to show off their work.

Are you up for the next Battle of the Hair: Student Edition? Check out Sport Clips Stylists on Facebook and Instagram for details to drop sometime in December 2023.

Get to know our 2023 Battle of the Hair finalists:

https://youtu.be/kW3V-VDOxrI

Get an inside look into the Battle of the Hair Student Experience:

https://youtu.be/Y9aSnAIfJC8