If you are a college student looking for a cheap haircut in Goshen, look no further than Goshen College’s Valesco House, where Hannah Sauder shows off her savvy styling skills for an affordable price.
Exercising a talent she’s had since age nine, Sauder started off in the haircutting business by giving haircuts to friends and family members. Learning new things from YouTube videos, Sauder’s haircutting customers grew to include her high school friends and, eventually, her college friends as well.“My first year, I started cutting hair to get laundry money so I could do my laundry,” said Sauder. “[That’s] kind of how it started off.” This year, Sauder’s cuts provide extra money for groceries, since she lives in small-group housing.
The bonus of added income, however, is not Sauder’s main objective with her haircuts. “When I first arrived here, there wasn’t a place you could go to get a haircut for a decent price,” said Sauder. “[If I] can do something to benefit students here, why not use that talent to help other students?”
As for marketing her service to other students, Sauder has put up some signs, but relies a lot on word-of-mouth to provide her with new customers. “I think it’s the best advertising,” said Sauder. She now cuts an average of three to four students’ hair each weekend.
Valesco House, where Sauder is currently living, provides a great space for haircuts with a big, open main floor. “People often come over [for haircuts] and end up hanging out for a while,” said Sauder. Most of her hair cutting supplies are from her grandmother, who used to cut hair. “[I have] a nice razor, cape, and scissors and everything. I kind of inherited that,” added Sauder.
Providing haircuts for students is not the only way Sauder can use her talents. She has done hair and makeup design for a couple of theater productions, her most recent show being “Wit,” which just closed this past weekend. “I gained most of my experience in theater,” said Sauder.
Sauder has also dabbled in hair dying and styling, helping out with friends’ hair for campus events like fall Kick-Off. Depending on how long it takes and how elaborate the styling is, Sauder’s cuts usually cost between five and ten dollars.
Because of students’ busy schedules as well as her own, Sauder generally cuts hair on weekends; usually Saturdays and Sundays. To schedule an appointment with her, email her at hasauder@goshen.edu.
