<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Ila3X_1Gy5mC8m00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Ila3X_1Gy5mC8m00" width="750" height="420" ><figcaption>Peabody cosmetology alumnus Victor Do Prado cuts the hair of Ethan Crucen during the Strands of Strength fundraiser, which raised money for Do Prado's family, who lost their home in a fire, and Jennessey Iraola, who is battling cancer. (Spenser Hasak) Purchase this photo</figcaption></figure>For the students and graduates of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School’s cosmetology program, the bonds formed in the classroom extend far beyond graduation.That connection was on full display Monday as current students, alumni, instructors, and community members came together for Strands of Strength: a beauty fundraiser benefiting two former students facing unexpected hardships.The event supported 2024 graduate Jennessey Iraola, who is battling stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma, and 2026 graduate Victor Do Prado, who recently lost his home in a fire.Cosmetology instructors Kristen Childs and Cecilie Boga organized the benefit after learning about the challenges their graduates were facing.When they reached out to former students for help, the response was a testament to the lasting impact they had made as educators.“Our kids wanted to come back. If they didn’t care about us, if they weren’t invested in this program, if they didn’t feel some sort of connection, they wouldn’t want to be here,” Boga said.Those relationships take shape over the countless hours spent together throughout the program.“We see these kids more than we see our own kids,” Childs said. “So it’s like a family. It really is. That’s why our wall says, ‘In this room, we are a family.’”That sense of belonging became especially important to Iraola after receiving her diagnosis in early June. As she struggled to process the news, Iraola turned to her second family.“The day I was diagnosed, I didn’t even tell my grandmother. Nobody knew other than my mother,” she recalled. “I came straight to this school, and I sat right in that cosmetology room, and I told them, ‘What am I going to do?’”Iraola said Childs and Boga have remained by her side ever since.“They’re like my other moms,” Iraola said.Although accepting help has never come easily for Iraola, she was overwhelmed by the generosity she encountered.“I want to go up to every single person and thank them from the bottom of my heart,” she said.Do Prado shared that affection for his former instructors and was equally touched by the turnout.“I thought after I graduated, that would be everything,” he said. “Usually, school’s over with. I’m not coming back there. They’re not going to care about me anymore. But now it’s completely the opposite.”Do Prado has since earned his professional license and is putting his cosmetology training to use as a barber.“If it wasn’t for the cosmetology program, I probably would have dropped out of school. I wouldn’t be where I am right now,” Do Prado said.Throughout Monday’s benefit, licensed professionals offered haircuts, blow-dries, facials, braids, and nail treatments, while current students assisted with appointments and sales.Attendees could also purchase baked goods and food donated by local businesses, including D’Orsi’s Bakery &amp; Delicatessen, Pizzerino, and The Sourdough Sisters. At least 20 raffle baskets filled with donated prizes gave visitors another way to support the cause.Among the returning graduates was Julianna Lewis, Class of 2023, who now works at a salon on Boston’s Newbury Street. She credited the program’s career opportunities with helping her secure employment.Another volunteer, Tony Vargas, Class of 1994, was the program’s first male graduate. Now the owner of Exclusive Hair by Tony Vargas on Main Street, he has since watched both of his daughters follow in his footsteps.Vargas also found himself a new client Monday.PVMHS visual arts teacher Laura Godinho stopped by the fundraiser for a pixie cut, hoping to find a low-maintenance style. After sitting in Vargas’ chair, she was already convinced she had found her new hairdresser.Godinho, whose graphic design students collaborate with cosmetology seniors on business branding, also knew both beneficiaries personally.“I’m just so happy that the community is coming together to support the program, to support the students,” she said.Years after Iraola and Do Prado first walked into the cosmetology classroom, the people they met there were still finding ways to make a difference in their lives.This time, they weren’t learning how to care for clients, but experiencing what it meant to be cared for themselves.</div></body>

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For the students and graduates of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School’s cosmetology program, the bonds formed in the classroom extend far beyond graduation. That connection was on full display Monday as current students, alumni, instructors, and community members came together for Strands of Strength: a beauty fundraiser benefiting two former students facing unexpected hardships.

Cosmetology alumni unite through beauty

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For the students and graduates of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School’s cosmetology program, the bonds formed in the classroom extend far beyond graduati

Cosmetology alumni unite through beauty

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