KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knox County Schools program, the 865 Academies, places career exploration at the forefront of a high school education.
The program gives high school students a chance to participate in work-based learning and find opportunities to shadow professionals on the job. Participants can work with professionals to get a better sense of the type of career they want to pursue after graduation.
The first cohort of 865 Academies launched "Freshman Academy" for incoming ninth-graders in the Fall of 2022. It included students from schools like Austin-East, L&N STEM Academy, Central High School and Fulton High School. The second cohort of schools started their programs in the Fall of 2023, which included Carter High School and South-Doyle High School.
"The cosmetology and barbering program was growing a lot more than the other ones inside the school," said Leonardo Garay, a barber and owner of Fenix Barbershop. Garay works with students through the program. "Barbering has opened doors for me that I would never think that they would have been open."
While participating in the program, students can earn industry certifications and graduate with job experience hours — making students "job ready" as soon as they graduate high school.
"After high school, you get the option to go to college or do secondary education. So, it was either Marine Corps. or barbering," said Garay talking about his own high school experience at Fulton High School.
Garay started cutting hair when he was 15 years old, around the same time he was battling cancer. Now, at 25 years old, Garay owns and runs his own barbershop. It received the 2022 Best of Knoxville Award in the barbershop category.
Besides showing students how to cut hair safely and stylishly, he also shows them how to run a business and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. He said the pay and the job flexibility are two aspects of cosmetology that attract students.
"Teaching them how much money you make, what are the benefits, what are the things that you can do in there," he said. "Nowadays, barbers charge a good amount of money for haircuts, especially cosmetologists."
Most of all, he said the program connects students with people who give them a chance to succeed.
"The struggle that they can have is having someone that can believe in them," said Garay.