East Bay special education teacher's training as a hairstylist comes in handy before student's big night

Before Claire Hall found her calling as a special education teacher at Acalanes High School, she dreamed of a different career path.

“In the early part of my life, I was going to be a hairstylist to the stars,” Hall said. 

Life had different plans for Hall, leading her to a fulfilling career teaching students like 15-year-old Mason Zolnier at Acalanes High School in Lafayette.

“Kids with glasses are my kryptonite. So, when I saw Mason, immediate love,” Hall said. 

Little did Claire know that her old love for hairstyling and her new passion for teaching would come together in the best possible way.

“It was magic,” Hall said.

Mason was signed up to attend “A Night to Shine,” a prom night for people with special needs. Mason’s mom Karen Zolnier wanted her son to look sharp but knew Mason sitting in a barber chair for 20 minutes would not be an option. In the past, Karen always took on the task of cutting Mason’s hair herself, which wasn’t always an easy experience.

“It's like, ‘Okay, Mommy's going to do it.’ We'll put the timer on. I'm going to do it fast. It's usually all one length all over and kind of a buzz cut,” Zolnier said. 

When Zolnier told Mason’s teachers about her predicament, Hall stepped up to offer her talents.

“When it came time to it, I'm like, 'Mace, what's up, dude? Can I cut your hair?' And he's like, 'Yeah.' So he was wonderful. He did everything wonderfully,” Hall said.

Hall transformed the haircut into a classroom lesson, skillfully cutting and styling Mason’s hair for 20 peaceful minutes in front of his observant classmates.

“The video just brought tears to my eyes. Both grandmas watched the video probably 20 times,” Zolnier said.

The video of Mason walking down the red carpet at "A Night to Shine" is destined to be watched even more. Mason, with his new haircut and a dark suit, entered the dance to the cheers of onlookers.

“My God, it truly was a night to shine,” Zolnier said. “It was a very pure moment for all of us.”