Dozens of Lincoln High students dazzled their peers at their Homecoming dance this fall thanks to the heartwarming generosity of community partners.
Local hairstylists, barbers and makeup artists offered their expertise to the Links at the inaugural Lincoln Community Learning Centers Homecoming preparation event. Everyone who walked into the cafeteria received the beautification services free of charge. This allowed students to enjoy Homecoming with confidence and pride.
Lincoln High junior Yolanda donated her time to help her classmates that afternoon. Yolanda is a club leader with the Boys and Girls Club organization. She was encouraged to see the outpouring of support from several organizations and businesses.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all of the people come in here and getting their hair and makeup done and then walking out looking so pretty,” Yolanda said. “And then to see them again tonight all dressed up.”
College of Hair Design students Ashleigh Godsey and Alyson Mena immediately said yes when they learned about the opportunity to serve the Links. They joined other college students who set up equipment on tables in one corner of the cafeteria. They then transformed the hairstyles of their clients by adding beachy waves, sleek curls and tall topknots.
Mena and Godsey said they wanted to let the Links know they are not alone in their high school world.
“I just want to see them smile,” Mena said. “I just want them to be happy.”
“I want them to know that there are people out there who are willing to provide a helping hand,” Godsey said. “It’s not just about doing hair. It’s knowing you can come here and give back to the community.”
Lincoln High’s CLC partnership with Boys and Girls Club of Lincoln/Lancaster County helped make the event possible. Boys and Girls Club serves as the lead agency partner and oversees CLC activities at Lincoln High, North Star High School and Park Middle School as part of an interlocal agreement structure.
All students in a CLC building are eligible to receive many types of CLC services. After-school activities such as academic enrichment classes, community theater programs and youth sports leagues are a prominent part of CLC, but there are many other forms of support that students can access.
CLC school community coordinators such as Alexis Decker-Rieck are spearheading those opportunities for students in many Lincoln Public Schools hallways. Decker-Rieck supervises CLC activities as the Boys and Girls Club program director at Lincoln High.
The former Link wanted to ensure that everyone in the building could go to the Homecoming dance in style. She and club leaders like Yolanda came up with the idea for the preparation event to meet this goal.
Decker-Rieck relied on her community connections to help CLC students organize the activities. She called several businesses to inquire about their availability, and student leaders asked local families if they would be willing to donate Homecoming dresses. Lincoln High Chic Club members quickly agreed to offer their services as well.
News of the hairstyling and nail sessions soon spread across campus. Yolanda put up flyers with the date, time and purpose around the school building, and she presented information on Lincoln High’s daily announcements. That led to a wave of students walking into the cafeteria to get their spots in line at 3 p.m.
“There are a lot of kids being served, and that’s always our purpose with every event that we do,” Decker-Rieck said.
Organizers gave 30 dresses to students within the first 30 minutes, and seats at the 402 Fades Barbershop and College of Hair Design sections were soon filled. Stylists like Mena and Godsey began chatting with the Links about their hair preferences, how their day at school went and how their dates asked them to go to Homecoming.
“I just want to make the kids beautiful,” Mena said. “It’s a good opportunity to help.”
Yolanda believes the Homecoming event can become an annual fixture on Lincoln High’s calendar. She said the goal is for future Links to enjoy the same types of chic looks for many years to come.
“I’m hoping so,” Yolanda said. “This is really going to be good for a lot of students. It feels good to help.”
Discover how Lincoln CLC activities support many LPS students across the city.
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