Making a Difference with 15 Years of Experience in Hair Care

By Paige Lee-Early, Milton Hershey School Lead Hairstylist

I’ve been in the hair care industry for 15 years now. Working at Spartan Styles, Milton Hershey School’s on-campus hair salon and barbershop, is very gratifying. I think back to how overjoyed I was when I discovered the position and applied for the lead hairstylist job opening.

The stylists and barbers I work with were all so welcoming when I came to MHS. Being able to work with a good team is very important. We all bring something to the table, and we can lean on each other for information and support.

The students make our job really rewarding. They are so excited when they come to get their hair done. And we have the opportunity to educate them on how to best care for their own unique hair. At the end of the day, knowing that we’re providing this service and resource to them, which then trickles out to their parents/sponsors and families, is a really good feeling.

The hair care we provide at Spartan Styles is free of charge. We apply our professional education and offer whatever knowledge we have to the students, plus we get to know and help the students. This gives the students’ parents/sponsors a sense of comfort knowing we are experts in our field and care about their children.

In my time here so far, I understand the significant role hair care plays across campus. I’ve been having conversations with Enrollment Management and Family Relations (EMFR), learning how we support parents/sponsors and how we can get involved on Enrollment Day. I’m also working with our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee to come up with training, education, and other resources we can provide to help our campus population.

Hair care is important to me because it ties into self-esteem and character-building. Growing up, I was always taught that appearance is important. That’s a big part of first impressions. Also, everyone’s hair is different, so it goes back to diversity and inclusion.

As professionals in hair care, the stylists and barbers at Spartan Styles are experienced in working with different hair. At MHS, we see all types of hair—from textures to densities. When a student comes in, it’s necessary for us to really get to know their hair first. We can then use the products best for their own individual hair needs. Beyond that, we also help educate their houseparents and give them daily at-home care instructions for their students.

I think a lot of people at MHS are excited about where the hair care program is heading. I’m very thrilled to begin implementing new ideas here—what can we do as Spartan Styles to better help our campus community. I think the students are going to really enjoy what we can provide them, too.

Learn More About How MHS Meets Students' Daily Needs