Albany High School’s Cosmetology and Barbering programs sent off seniors with style, glitter and great food on Wednesday at their Sashing Ceremony and Banquet.
In the company of family, friends, elected officials and longtime community supporters, seniors received handmade barbering and cosmetology sashes they will wear at graduation on Sunday.
Albany High Principal Jodi Commerford presented sashes to students of Cosmetology teachers LaQuita Love and Yvonne Walters’ and students of Barbering teacher Jonathan Wafer (who chimed in virtually from Atlanta, where he is accompanying junior barbering student Elijah Temple, who is competing in the national SkillsUSA competition).
A special shout-out to retiring Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Kim DeHart for making the sashes! Students who received sashes follow.
Barbering
- Amin Gedi
- Andre Nicholson
- Ty Payne
- Jay Thomas
Cosmetology
- Hawraa Abdulhusin
- Jedidah Agbenyeku
- Jahnasia Boyd
- Sanaé Burns
- Holly Cardinale
- Teja Cummings
- Jescina Davis
- Gisely DeLosSantos
- Bridget Duah
- Aaliayh Hargrove
- Fianna Harman
- Natalie Harris
- Miaje Johnson
- Amaya LaMartz
- Makenzie Mendrick
- Corey O’Neal
- Valery Ovalle
- Zyaira Parker
- Sonia Russell
- Leslie Santos Flores
- Vyniah Thompson
- Yaiis Tuck
- Jetzeni Vazquez Arzuaga
- Nazariah Williams
Also at the ceremony, three seniors were the first recipients of the new Tiana’s Hope Scholarship. They are Amin Gedi, Leslie Santos Flores and Jay Thomas. The scholarship is sponsored by the family of Tiana Beatty-Logan, a former City School District of Albany student, cosmetologist and businesswoman who lost her battle with mental illness and addiction in June 2021. Several of Tiana’s family members were at Wednesday’s event.
Cosmetology Club adviser Donald Hyman was the master of ceremonies.
A host of luminaries spoke, including Board of Education President Vickie Smith, Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Common Council President Corey Ellis, retired Principal Dale Getto, Principal Sophia Newell (now heading up Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology), Albany NAACP President Debra Brown-Johnson, 20-21 cosmetology program grad Kamylle Blakwell-Clark, Capital District Educational Opportunity Center Executive Director Denise Fernandez-Pallozzi, Ed.D., and Natural Hair Stylist Lakisha Foy.
Guests enjoyed fabulous food donated by community partners – including a cake frosted with hair-cutting and -styling implements!
