FAIRVIEW — Creative solutions to address unmet needs is the heart of entrepreneurship. Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Brittany Freeman at Fairview High School was able to give her students an example of this lesson in action Thursday morning with the grand opening of the school’s “Shaggy Aggie” boutique and salon.

When Freeman noticed a classroom on Fairview’s campus going unused, the wheels in her head began spinning. She wanted to use the classroom to implement a program similar to Giving Hope — a program that Freeman said that she had previously been involved with that instead of donating toys and clothing to those in need allows them to “shop” for those items themselves.

“I just thought why don’t we use that room as a multipurpose room and clean it out and make it look beautiful like a boutique,” Freeman said.

While the concept was her’s, Freeman refuses to take all of the credit. She said that it required a group effort for her vision to come together. The Fairview Agriculture Department and maintenance workers with Cullman County Schools sanded down cabinets and volunteers with Desperation Church painted them. This preparation, along with a partnership with the Wallace State Community College Cosmetology Department, transformed what was once a dusty unused classroom into a working salon for the day.

Beginning at 9 a.m., students who had received permission from their parents, began to line up for a haircut, or styled by the WSCC students in training. WSCC Program Director Sabrina Flanigan, said that this gave the high school students an opportunity to discuss their futures in a relaxing atmosphere, but gave her students a better understanding of the fast paced environment of working in a salon.

Flaningan said that 35 haircuts were given, and that 30 more students had their hair styled. She said that her students were requesting to come back as soon as they returned to the Wallace campus.

“It was just such a cool experience. Just an awesome atmosphere I felt like. It was laid back but yet upbeat and positive,” Flanigan said.

Haircuts are scheduled to be performed every other Thursday for the duration of the school year, but Freeman said that the location will see plenty of use between those days. In addition to the Shaggy Aggie and the boutique that will be available to students in need, the room will serve as a permanent location for the school’s in-house counseling sessions to take place.

Freeman said that seeing her concept meet the needs of her students gave her a level of excitement that brought tears to her eyes, and she is looking forward to continuing and expanding on the program.

“I’m really excited about the future and seeing these kids’ basic needs get met that we take for granted, and seeing how that translates into better work ethic and better grades and higher morale in the school,” Freeman said.