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Student Profile -
Clarence Coleman |
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Click on any image to see a larger version of the image. |
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“I’m a fan of
E CITY because…
…it
gave me an opportunity to get better at something I know how to do.”
What Clarence knows how to do is
cut hair. After graduating from Glenville High School in 2001, he attended Barber College. It was
something he had always wanted to do. And owning his own shop was
part of that dream. |
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Clarence at work on his plan |
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YO! Cleveland winners |
Although he was
able to obtain work cutting hair, being a business owner seemed
unreachable. Then, through YO! Cleveland, Clarence learned about the
E CITY entrepreneurship education program. He committed to attending
E CITY’s class at YO! Cleveland headquarters in the summer of 2003.
It’s, like, one
of the best things that ever happened to me,” says Clarence. “I
learned about business and they taught me the fundamentals of being an
entrepreneur. I think I was made to be an entrepreneur,” he adds.
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Why does he
think that? Maybe he resonated with what E CITY teacher, Peg Zitzner,
taught him about personal commitment to a vision, seeing interests and
talents as opportunities, and being aware of people’s needs.
“I look at
cutting hair as an art form. I’m proud of it. It motivates me when
someone sits in my chair- I want to be the best, for them.”
“I didn’t do well
in math in high school. I just wasn’t really paying attention,”
explains Clarence when he thinks about all that he learned and
understood in the E CITY curriculum. It made immediate sense to him.
So much so that he says “I don’t want that first class to be my last
experience with E CITY. I want to enhance what I know and be part of
their alumni programs.” “And Mrs. Z is the coolest,” he says of his
teacher. |
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Clarence and Mrs. Z
with the YO! Cleveland class |
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Yes, Clarence
wants to fulfill the dream of owning his own shop. For now, you can
visit him at Even Cuts (16122 Lakeshore, near 161
St.) where he rents a chair from the owner, Wednesday through Monday.
“I figure that if I were a shop owner, I’d save the $150 per week
booth rental. That’s $600 per month and $8,000 per year,” he quickly
calculates. “I would have 3-4 other barbers to pay rent to me and
that would cover my expenses.”
Clarence is eager
for further connection to E CITY, and he says he would like to tell
other teens:
“It’s a stepstool to the American
dream.”
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