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At the School Board Meeting of August 12, 2025, School Board Member Luisa Santos proffered agenda item B-4, recognizing South Dade Technical College barbering students for their skills, service, and dedication to the community.
South Dade Technical College (South Dade Tech), established in 1969 as an adult night school program at South Dade Senior High, is dedicated to empowering post-secondary learners for high skill and in demand careers. Evolving from an adult night school to its status as a technical college in 2014, the college has expanded its reach and strengthened its community focus. Its barber training program offers education in a trade rich with history and craftsmanship, preparing students to pass their Florida Restricted Barber or Barber License Examination. Graduates leave with the technical expertise and financial skills needed to successfully run a barbershop.
Jesus Mazariegos is a new student at South Dade Tech, who is excited about the opportunity the program is giving him. Mazariegos is a local, having grown up in Miami and attended Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Touching on the sense of community at South Dade Tech, he appreciates how all of the programs lend support to one another and how barbering students are able to practice on
other students throughout the college, gaining valuable real-world experience. Additionally, Mazariegos has enjoyed how barbering is a way to build relationships by connecting with clients and providing a listening ear to those he sits in his chair.
Brandon Paez-Heneo is a seasoned student at South Dade Tech. Paez-Heneo began pursuing his barbering license immediately following high school graduation. Paez-Heneo began developing plans to obtain a barbering license at fifteen years old and at just nineteen, he has already completed his first eight months at South Dade Tech, bringing himself closer to his goal. Paez-Heneo feels like the college has granted him an opportunity to grow personally, becoming a more expressive and open person, accrediting this to his peers and mentors at South Dade Tech.
Gabriel Pavon-Factor is a working student at South Dade Tech. After growing up in Texas and working in various industries such as landscaping and K-9 Police Unit training, Pavon-Factor shifted his talents to barbering shortly after moving to Miami. For Pavon-Factor, South Dade Tech has become a family space, with his mother also earning a cosmetology license in the college. With eight months and an outgoing and warm personality, he has been fortunate in meeting new people through the college, an aspect he considers the most valuable. After 3 months, Pavon-Factor gained a position at Royal Barber Shop where he has been working since then.
On July 31, 2025, the South Dade Tech Barbering Program, under the leadership of Director Scott Parker, partnered with the Office of School Board Member Luisa Santos to provide free hair-cutting services to students at the third annual District 9 Back to School Bash. Jesus Mazariegos, Brandon
Paez-Henao, and Gabriel Pavon-Factor used their skills to conduct pre-haircut consultations with students and their families, cut students hair based on their requests, and granted younger students a strong and confident start for this academic year.
To read the full item, visit: https://luisasantos.com/priorities/
