Scholar Stories
Darrail Hughes
Minneapolis Community & Technical College, Major: Barber
St. Paul Central High School, 2008
Service-to-Children Project: Seeds of Change, St. Paul
Darrail Hughes, who is studying barbering at Minneapolis Community & Technical College, says he is determined not to become another statistic, “but a somebody.” He mentors African American male students through the Seeds of Change program at St. Paul Central High School, helping them to “hang in there” when school and social pressures seem overwhelming. Hughes says that one of the students he is helping stay in school told him, “Neither of my parents went to college and when I have a kid one day, I don’t want them to say the same about me.” Many of the young men in the Seeds of Change program come to Hughes for advice on educational and personal issues. “I’ve been able to help because I’ve been there,” he says. Darrail offers a special perk, besides his support and advice: He cuts their hair at no cost, helping them look great as they face their challenges.